Papa Who Wake Up Tired In The Dark Summary

Jacqueline Woodson once said, “Diversity is about all of us having to figure out how to walk through this world together”. The quote conveys the fact that humans are able to overcome social and cultural struggles of identity. Social identity defines one’s view of him or herself based on society’s values. On the contrary, cultural identity reveals how one views his or herself based on the culture they were born into. Life experiences also have an effect on the development of one’s identity. My experiences are similar to Esperanza in the poem “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” by Sandra Cisneros, because we share views on the roles of men in society, and our cultures both respect the dead. In addition, I also share similarities with the character

Beneatha in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, because we both dislike being looked at as weaklings in society, and we do not wish to practice a religion. Finally, I share experiences with the speaker in the poem “Women” by Alice Walker, because we both agree that women have made incredible improvements on how they are viewed in society.
In the poem “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark”, Sandra Cisneros explores the idea of social and cultural identity through the character of Esperanza as the poem unfolds.

The author illustrates social identity when Esperanza was shocked by the sight of her crying father and stated, “I have never seen my Papa cry and don’t know what to do” (lines 2-3). This displays Esperanza’s view of men—her Papa specifically—in society, as a strong people, both physically and emotionally. When he broke into tears, it was a big shock to her. Similarly, when my father cried while my grandfather was hospitalized from a heart attack, I was frozen in shock because my father, a strong man, was in tears. This proves my similarities with Esperanza’s view of society and social identity. An example showing Esperanza’s cultural identity was when she thought to herself, “I will have to tell them we can’t play. I will have to tell them to be quiet today” (lines 7-8). This quote is significant because it identifies Esperanza’s culture; their respect for the dead. Upon reflection of her experiences, I see similarities and I can relate with how my culture also respects the dead by being peaceful and quiet. These experiences have made me a respectful and polite individual. By comparing Esperanza’s struggles of social and cultural identity with mine, I realize that we are alike in many

ways.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry also illustrates significant features of both social and cultural identity through the unique and stubborn character, Beneatha. A situation demonstrating social identity was when Beneatha wanted to express herself, and George replied with, “As for myself, I want a nice—simple—sophisticated girl…not a poet—O.K.” (60)? Beneatha is challenged with the conflict of being a fine lady for George, while expressing herself at the same time. In fact, I also have been in a situation similar to this. My father has always wanted me to be lady-like, even though I am a person who messes around a lot. Aside from social identity, Beneatha also struggles with cultural identity when she claims, “There is simply no God—there is only man and it is he who makes miracles” (24)! This quote shows how Beneatha’s views on cultural identity, contrasts her mother’s, a woman with very religious views. Likewise, I was in a similar situation when my mother wanted to take me to the Buddhist temple, even though I chose not to participate in a religion. Beneatha and I both do not believe that miracles can be made by believing in a god. As a result in comparing our experiences, I realized that we are alike in the struggle of expressing our identities and being accepted.
In addition to the two works, the poem “Women” by Alice Walker portrays social identity from the speaker’s descriptions of the women in her Mama’s generation, and how they improved their image in society. To show this, the speaker recalls how women, “…ironed starched white shirts” (lines 9-11). The text explains to the readers that in society, women are looked to as “housewives” or weaklings. This reminded me of the story my grandmother told me about her ex-husband whom she got a divorce with. She told me that he always wanted her to work in the house and do all the “women’s work” like ironing shirts, cooking, and laundry, because that was “all that women could do.” The words he spoke really gave a disgusted feeling because in my eyes, women are way better than that. Another quote proving that women should be looked to as strong individuals is when the speaker says, “How they battered down doors…led armies” (lines 7-13). This is a message proving that women are strong, fierce, independent, and fearless. Similarly, other grandmother was teased in her childhood because she aimed to be a doctor. She proved the others wrong, worked very hard, and became a doctor in Vietnam at the age of 42. My grandmother was headstrong and did not care about what others thought; she was brave and driven by her ambitious goals. By comparing similarities with the speaker in “Women”, I realize that many groups are judged stereotypically in society, and it is possible for them to break down that wall and show the world their true identities.
Social and cultural identities are unique and dominant traits shaped by our experiences. As has been noted, Esperanza and I share many similarities in our views of society and cultural traditions. Furthermore, Beneatha and I experienced struggles of fitting into society’s expectations, and clashes with our families’ cultures and beliefs. Finally, I can agree with the speaker in “Women” on the idea that women are looked at poorly in society but they still fight and stand up for themselves. To summarize, in “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark”, the reader is encouraged to learn that in life, one will encounter difficult and sorrowful obstacles. Even the toughest people may cry, but you have to put yourself in their shoes and feel the emotions they are feeling. In addition, in A Raisin in the Sun, the author unveils the message of not being afraid to show society what you think, what your true identity is, and standing up for what you believe, no matter how others may see differently. Lastly, in the poem “Women”, the reader discovers how women were viewed in society’s values back then, and how they fought for themselves, powered through, and encouraged others to do the same. As a result, diversity is a significant factor in our society because the way one differentiates from another makes them who they are, one of a kind. Life is not all about fitting into society. Being glad that you were born a unique individual, and expressing your inner most identity, is the true definition of being diverse.