An Analysis of 'Volar' by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Yuliya Slipets A Analysis of Essay “Volar”
In “Volar” Judith Cofer, she portrays the problems faced by many immigrant families, such as problems with fitting in, homesickness and starting life from the beginning in America. The author shows the daughter’s, the mother’s, and the father’s secret desire through their dream. The daughter’s obsession with superheroes is her desire to fit in to the culture where she lives. The author shows that the twelve years old girl with tight curls and skinny arm and legs is not happy with way she looks.She feels different from people surrounding her. She dreams that as she turns into super girl her” legs would grow long” (69) her “arms harden into steel”(69) and her” hair would magically go straight and turn a golden hair” (69). Escaping into her dreams, the little girl is trying to avoid a reality of not fitting in her new world.She feels “incongruous”( 69) waking up in her body. The mother is homesick for her country. She wants to go back to her country and see her “familia on the Island” (70). She understands that it is financially impossible for her to go back and it hurts her. She looks out from her kitchen window and has a view of the sky. She wishes to fly to her family and says “Ay,si yo pudeiera volar”- all she could do is wish she could fly. Although, the author has not clearly defined of the Father’s dream in this essay.It seems that father wants a new, better and financially stable life for his family. He is the person in the family who lives realistically and practically. He seems more worried about their new life than his wife. He is more interested in the discussion about their current life “…they would be discussing events in the barrio. Actually, he would be carrying that part of the conversation”. In this story, the family is like many immigrant families is dealing with their
In “Volar” Judith Cofer, she portrays the problems faced by many immigrant families, such as problems with fitting in, homesickness and starting life from the beginning in America. The author shows the daughter’s, the mother’s, and the father’s secret desire through their dream. The daughter’s obsession with superheroes is her desire to fit in to the culture where she lives. The author shows that the twelve years old girl with tight curls and skinny arm and legs is not happy with way she looks.She feels different from people surrounding her. She dreams that as she turns into super girl her” legs would grow long” (69) her “arms harden into steel”(69) and her” hair would magically go straight and turn a golden hair” (69). Escaping into her dreams, the little girl is trying to avoid a reality of not fitting in her new world.She feels “incongruous”( 69) waking up in her body. The mother is homesick for her country. She wants to go back to her country and see her “familia on the Island” (70). She understands that it is financially impossible for her to go back and it hurts her. She looks out from her kitchen window and has a view of the sky. She wishes to fly to her family and says “Ay,si yo pudeiera volar”- all she could do is wish she could fly. Although, the author has not clearly defined of the Father’s dream in this essay.It seems that father wants a new, better and financially stable life for his family. He is the person in the family who lives realistically and practically. He seems more worried about their new life than his wife. He is more interested in the discussion about their current life “…they would be discussing events in the barrio. Actually, he would be carrying that part of the conversation”. In this story, the family is like many immigrant families is dealing with their