Volar By Judith Ortiz Cofer
In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s short story “Volar,” a girl who is a huge fan of comic books dreams of being a Superhero but realizes her reality. Whether a child or an adult, most of us have our dreams; however, not all wishes become true.
The narrator, the girl, begins her story describing how much she loves comic books such as Legion of SuperHeroes and Supergirl so much that a pile of her books is high as she is. She smoothly continues with her repeated dream in which Cofer vividly conveys the image that provides the reader with her strong sense of purpose. The narrator looks strong and beautiful with long blond hair. She believes that “Supergirl had to be aerodynamic.” She also uses her powers to see through the buildings and fly; she jumps over
the roof of buildings and sees people she knows. The narrator notices that she encounters her real world because she discovers her father is counting his money. However, she doesn’t want to wake up, so she blows into the chimney to scatter his money to make him count it again. Although the narrator wants to stay in her dream to fly, she wakes up in her small room in her small house with the “incongruous” reality: she doesn’t look strong; her hair is not long and blond.
The narrator brings the reader into her reality that she comes back into her daily routine; her mother wakes her up exactly forty-five minutes after her parents wake up. When she is awake, her mother and father are talking at the kitchen; she doesn’t want to bother her parents, so she thinks back on her dream in order to stay in bed. Moreover, her mother also dreams of visiting Puerto Rico to see her family. However, the reality is that the cost of vacation is too much, and her husband cannot get off work. After her parent’s conversation, the narrator expresses her reality as “a dismal alley,” which is too small to get out. She understands that her and her mother’s dream is impossible. Likewise, her mother looks out the kitchen window with a deep sigh and wishes that she could fly, which is also her daughter’s fantasy. The irony is that both characters seem to know their melancholy lives despite their wishes to fly whether as a girl or as an adult.
The narrator, the girl, begins her story describing how much she loves comic books such as Legion of SuperHeroes and Supergirl so much that a pile of her books is high as she is. She smoothly continues with her repeated dream in which Cofer vividly conveys the image that provides the reader with her strong sense of purpose. The narrator looks strong and beautiful with long blond hair. She believes that “Supergirl had to be aerodynamic.” She also uses her powers to see through the buildings and fly; she jumps over
the roof of buildings and sees people she knows. The narrator notices that she encounters her real world because she discovers her father is counting his money. However, she doesn’t want to wake up, so she blows into the chimney to scatter his money to make him count it again. Although the narrator wants to stay in her dream to fly, she wakes up in her small room in her small house with the “incongruous” reality: she doesn’t look strong; her hair is not long and blond.
The narrator brings the reader into her reality that she comes back into her daily routine; her mother wakes her up exactly forty-five minutes after her parents wake up. When she is awake, her mother and father are talking at the kitchen; she doesn’t want to bother her parents, so she thinks back on her dream in order to stay in bed. Moreover, her mother also dreams of visiting Puerto Rico to see her family. However, the reality is that the cost of vacation is too much, and her husband cannot get off work. After her parent’s conversation, the narrator expresses her reality as “a dismal alley,” which is too small to get out. She understands that her and her mother’s dream is impossible. Likewise, her mother looks out the kitchen window with a deep sigh and wishes that she could fly, which is also her daughter’s fantasy. The irony is that both characters seem to know their melancholy lives despite their wishes to fly whether as a girl or as an adult.