Sandra Cisneros Abuelito Who

“They were ashamed because they had treated the old `grandfather so meanly…,” the parents had felt guilty after treating the grandfather so inhumane in the Russian folk tale ”The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson” retold by Leo Tolstoy. “...asking who loves him who loves him who?” questioned Abuelito in the poem “Abuelito Who” by Sandra Cisnero. The folk tale “The Old Grandfather...” is about how the parents treated the grandfather disrespectfully and influenced the grandson. The poem “Abuelito Who” is about how Abuelito formed a very connected relationship with the author (Sandra Cisneros) and how the author remembers exactly how he was like before he became aged and is always stuck in his room. In the poem “Abuelito Who” by Sandra Cisneros

and Russian folk tale ”The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson” retold by Leo Tolstoy the pivotal theme is one should always respect their elders.

One apprehension why in both the folk tale and the poem share a universal lesson is that the central idea in the two texts are about how the children always looks upon their elders lovingly and kindly as a primary influence , but both texts describe this influence in distinct approaches.

A precedent of the main idea in the poem is , “Abuelito who throws coins like rain”(1). This citation illustrates how much Abuelito loved and cared for the author by describing how the abelito would generously give money like rain. Another instance from the prose is ,”...’I’m making a wooden bucket. This detail is representing how the minor was shaped in thinking that what the parents did ever so crualy was kind and loving in his eyes. When you and Mamma get old...”(16). In addition this quotes displays how loving the grandfather is in the poem ,”Who tells me in Spanish you are my sky”(7). All of these quotes reveal how much the child or the author looked up to and was influenced by their

grandfathers.

The second reason why the vital message is in unison between the poem and the folk tale is that both grandfathers are very old and for them death is inevitable, so for whatever time that they are here they should beloved and respect them and not treated ignominious.

Abuelito is getting old and sick from his old age. He is not spending as much time as he was before with the author and almost being like no one lives in the house anymore he, “...is hiding underneath the bed”(17). “His legs wouldn't carry him, his eyes could not see...”(1). This line is portraying how elderly the “Old Grandfathers ” is but still the adults still treated him cruelly,”...she said that from now on he would get his food in an wooden dish”(10). This is very cruel, for example would one treat a dying pet with disrespect? These lines are expressing how one should treat their elders respectfully because they will not be around as long as one should

expect.

The final reason why both the "Abuelito Who" and the "The Old Grandfather" have a uniform theme is that both the grandfather and Abuelito are very depressed and being unrespectful make matters even worse.”The old man sighed and said nothing”(10) after the parents treated him with anguish. Secondly, Abuelito“is too sad to come downstairs today”(6) because of how he was old and frail. A final line from the folk tale which is stating how the parents treated him so that he would be demoralized,”His son and his shon’s wife no longer allowed him to eat with them at the table”(4). All of these lines are stating how the elders got very sad and depressed.

In the folk tale“The Old Grandfather and his Little Grandson” and “Abuelito Who” the monumental theme is the one should always respect their elders. One sense is the in both the poem and the folk tale the central ideas have key similarities. Another reason is that both the old grandfather and Abuelito are very old and near death so while they are still there the parent should respect them. The final reason is that both are already very sad because of their old age, then also being unrespectful make them even more demoralized. The folk tale and the poem have many correlations resulting in a unifiable message that one should respect their elders.