Esperanza Rising Essay

Esperanza Rising describes a girl Esperanza, who is lose her father in Mexico and threated by her uncle, leaves her town with her family and learns how to live in the America. During the whole book, the grandmother of Esperanza Abuelita tells the explicit theme at first, “Do not be afraid to start over (38).” This sentence summarizes the future of Esperanza and her family. Even though she faces lots of questions in America, she tries her best to face them and never gives up.
During the story, three main ideas express from the explicit theme. Courage, effort, and hope becomes the reason why Esperanza is successful to restart her life. When her house was fired by her uncle, her family decides to restart life. Even though they face lots of questions and problems, they never lose hope and try their best to live in

America.
The story also has two secondary themes.

There are discrimination and determination. When Miguel says if the house is from Esperanza’s uncle, Miguel will come to America because in America they have a chance to avoid the slaves identify (42). During the whole book, people can observe the discrimination happening in Mexican and American, Mexican and Mexican, poor and rich, etc. There is the one of inequality theme in this book. About determination, the theme follows Esperanza. At the early period, she only a small girl. However, finally she decides to start her new life. She has enough determination when she faces the problem.
In this book, character follows the main theme to develop. During whole book, “do not afraid to start” sustains in each person’s behavior. Not only the main character in the book, but also the minor role follows the theme. Mart, who is a girl in the worker family, she never gives up getting their own authority. Also, different themes have connection. Determination is covered by the main theme, and discrimination is the one of obstacles to hinder the main character. There is the method how themes and main themes connect with

character.
When we talk the setting of this story, we should make sure the setting is integral setting. The definition of integral setting from Lukens is when action, character, or theme are influenced by the time and place (168). Esperanza Rising is a typical sample to express the integral setting because the whole story is connecting with the setting. The story is happening in America and Mexico. In Mexico, Esperanza has a big house with lots of servants. However, in America, Esperanza just lives in an old small house. The confliction of environment makes Esperanza start to change herself to receive the challenge.
Time is a main line of the setting in this story. When Esperanza knows her father died, at that time the revolution is started by the conflict between the poor and wealthy people. There is the reason why brigands killed her father. When she comes to the America, the Great Depression comes later. Many people do not have works and food, and they have to come to other states. There is why Josefina explain to Esperanza, “now, more people are coming to the valley to look for work, especially from places like Oklahoma, where there is little work, little rain, and little hope (71).” As the summary, setting in the whole book is one of narrators to lead the development of story. When time or space changes, the story continues to the next part.
During the whole book, there is a good book following the Lukens Paper rules. The whole book describes a positive story about how people try their best to get the good life. In this story, the setting is the best one of Lukens Paper expression in this story. As the narrator and integral setting, time and space become the two lines to order the development of whole story. This is a good book for children.