Isla Virgil Suarez Summary

Virgil Suarez’s poem “Isla” incorporates two distinctly different images and compares them to create a lasting imagery for the reader. During the poem, a young Hispanic boy finds himself identifying with an unlikely character, Godzilla. Suarez uses the character of Godzilla to detail the ways in which a young boy perceives his life; thus showing the emotional effects of inequality as well as the harsh treatment of immigrants. The imagery Suarez creates allows us the reader to place ourselves in the young Hispanic boy’s “shoes” per say. It is my opinion that there are four definite ways in which the reader must face the young boy’s perceptions and emotional state. The first example of this would be when the young boy states “… I understood/ by the age of twelve what it meant to be unwanted, exiled…” (Kirszner & Mandell, 2012, p.679). This verse follows Godzilla waking from a long slumber, which could represent the boy coming of an age of recognition, both confused of their place in society. This verse, in my opinion, opens our hearts and allows us to see through the eyes of a confused, emotionally ignorant child.

679). When reading this line, I picture times when I too cried out in vein, a cleansing relief from everyday strain and hardship. Suarez’s use of this particular event in the boy’s memory, I feel, connects the reader more deeply to the young boy. The third crucial example of imagery, I believe is when the mother storms in the boys room after he lashes out, throwing his pillows in anger. This verse causes us, the readers, to reconnect to the young boy’s age and