Richard Rodriguez Essay Example

In his essay Richard Rodriguez narrates a particular event in his life using specific details throughout his writing to present the complications present in his family. He illustrates how when things begin to change from generation to generation a once united family can grow farther apart to the point of becoming detached, uncomfortable, professional and distant. Just as they grew wealthier their culture was lost and Rodriguez manifests this culture through one particular event: Christmas.

Rodriguez’s mother expected her children to become professionals and grow wealthy. She related such richness to gifts and presents saying that “you’ll have lots of money to buy me presents.” However, it is always different when professionalism takes over to become the basis of relationship in a family. Rodriguez uses descriptions and images such as “her feet are wreathed with gifts” and “everyone seems very tired” as a way of expressing his belief that his family has grown boring, that they have become too much of professionals to even spend Christmas joyfully with their family, like they used to before. He uses words such as “tired” and “uncomfortably warm” to indicate that either the temperature is too high or that their professionalism makes them uneasy when being in a sharing, caring, love situation. He gets back to the idea of change over time. How even Christmas, a holiday that has been celebrated since hundred of years ago, has changed to them from one generation to the next. For example, he describes his mother as being filled with presents but also seeming, in his eyes, “very small” and “worried” as if presents weren’t enough for her. As if she was melancholic about those past Christmas they have celebrated in such a personal and warm way, instead of the obligation that it now has become. Rodriguez uses such descriptions to present his family as distant, professional and impersonal.

Throughout the story Rodriguez uses specific details and words that complement