Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Character
Although she is not a major character, the grandmother is an important person in the book. She, more than either of the parents, represents the old way of living in Mexico. She represents to Richard Rodriguez the lifestyle and culture he can no longer obtain because of his assimilation into the world of los gringos. The grandmother teases Richard that he is a Pocho, because he does not speak Spanish anymore. However, she makes Richard her favorite grandson, talking to him in private in Spanish. Even though they do not share much in common anymore after Richard’s assimilation, they have a surprisingly intimate relationship. Rodriguez characterizes his grandmother with his diction, “She remained completely aloof from the public. Protected by her daughters. Protected even by me when we went to Safeway together and I acted as her translator” (Rodriguez 37). He uses the diction “aloof” and “protected” to show that the grandmother is not assimilating at all into America. The grandmother’s children assimilate more than her, and their children, like Richard, almost completely. The grandmother told Richard all about her life in Mexico, giving Richard the knowledge to understand his culture. However much Richard respects his grandmother and her way of life, he still abandons that in favor of a life of education. He writes about her with a very affectionate tone, which shows his maturity at the age of eight or nine; he takes in what his grandmother has to say, but is still very strong in his own opinions and drive to become educated.
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I thought that the most influential character was the author himself, Richard Rodriguez. He develops greatly through the course of the novel. In the beginning, he knows very little English and feels greatly alienated from white society, only feeling comfort in the safety of his Spanish speaking family. The central struggle that he faces is the consequences of assimilating into American society. Assimilation allows him to excel in education and succeed in life, but he loses his intimate relationship with his family. Ultimately, he decides to assimilate in to society and becomes successful in his professional career. He is an important character because he undergoes a complete transformation in his life. He takes risks and even ruins his relationship with his family in order to assimilate and achieve excellence in his life.
ReplyDeleteThe most important and predominant character is Rodriguez largely due to the fact that it is his autobiography. Nevertheless, I would agree that the grandmother plays an important role in shaping Rodriguez and connecting him with an out-of-reach past; I believe that it is important to mention these characters -- Rodriguez does -- because they are an important part of his life and deserve credit.
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