Indirect Characterization In Rau And Mora

“Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?” Some people live life according to the demands of others, letting their distinctive identity to waste and ruin. Everyone is subjected to change eventually; however, the change people undergo should be owing to their internal growth rather than external factors. For instance, Rau uses indirect characterization and juxtaposition to contrast Santha's association to the name Cynthia, given to her by the principal, which she never took to heart, and her real name; in contrast, Mora's use of indirect characterization and imagery shows that despite
Both Rau and Mora employ indirect characterization to enhance their character’ development, which reveals how others influence
an individual’s self-perception and growth. For instance, Rau describes how the headmaster appeared on Santha and Premila’s first day, “she smiled her inability to cope...her rimless glasses glittered and the precarious bun atop her head trembled” (Rau).
Without intending to, the headmaster belittles Santha by requesting she take on another name; furthermore, the headmaster’s authority blots out Santha’s ability to protest or defend herself. Moreover, since Santha had previously been homeschooled by her mother, she is unsure how she should act in such a situation, so this new Anglo-Saxon school is considered as unfamiliar territory, in which she is exposed to what her mother had tried to shield her from. From Santha’s perspective the headmaster is intimidating, so she reluctantly accepts, even muttering a quiet “thank you.” Despite this, her new name “Cynthia” holds little value and sentiment to her. On the other hand, Mora reveals that one’s presence may also boost an individual’s confidence through support. The immigrant woman reflects “[the teacher] gently squeezes my shoulders...my hand and tongue knot, but she guides” (Mora). The immigrant woman has her heart set on the task before her, but frustration and impatience rains down on her as she struggles to write and speak the language; however, her teacher is there for her. From Mora’s description of her, the teacher appears to be an empathetic
individual that helps others establish a new identity through encouragement and guidance. Although the immigrant’s teacher guides her through the process, whether she ultimately succeeds depends on herself. In this case, the teacher had a positive effect on the woman’s willpower; when the teacher is no longer present, the immigrant women continues writes her name late into the night, eventually achieving success. These two literary devices both illustrate that although other people’s behavior, actions, and appearance may hold leverage over an individual, whether the individual decides to change is up to him or herself.
Whereas Rau uses juxtaposition to bring highlight Santha’s ability to recast despite her tedious life at school, Mora’s use of imagery hints at the immigrant women’s old life, which accounts for her present work ethic.
To amplify the reader’s understanding of Santha’s current situation, Rau imparts a wealth of information about Santha’s life at school and at home. For Santha, life at school is monotonous “Most of that morning I was rather bored...I paid little attention” (Mora). As soon as she gets home, however, she turns back into Santha, “[she] sprinted barefoot across the lawns with her favorite playmate, listened to stories of ghosts and demons” (Mora). This distinctive contrast clarifies Santha’s reluctance to completely changing who she is just because of her new and unfamiliar environment; therefore, this leads the readers to deduce Santha is a resilient individual, because even after her lousy days at school, she still remains a bubbly and carefree girl. Furthermore, she recalls “Cynthia” as another girl to whom she has little affiliation with. Similarly, the readers can conclude that a change our surroundings may not always confer a change in identity. In contrast the information concerning the immigrant’s past justifies her desire to learn; Mora uses a vivid description, “she opens the ugly, soap-wrinkled fingers of my right hand...my hand cramps around the thin hardness” From this use of imagery, it becomes clear that the immigrant is accustomed to hard work in
the form of labor; however, now she is presented with the opportunity to become educated. Although the immigrant is now in a new environment, she still retains her mentality and strong work ethic. She fully commits to learning how to write her name, and when she finally succeeds, she takes great pride in her achievement. Overall, Mora and Rau use of literary devices help elucidate for the lack of change a different environment confers.
Rau and Mora both demonstrate a commonality in their work, through the usage of literary devices, that change should be due to the process of self-actualization rather than external factors. As people experience and explore life, they become conscious of who they are and who they want to be. Although support and encouragement can assist people on their journey of epiphany, in essence each individual undergoes it independently of other people. This leads to the ultimate question: will people ever fully discover who they are or will they continue to be ignorant?