Our identity changes based on who perceives us. In Ortiz Cofer’s text, her own body does not have any objective values, but is instead based on other’s -- and society’s -- subjective opinions about it. As she says in the final paragraph of The Story of My Body, “My skin color, my size, and my appearance were variable” (Ortiz Cofer #). In a society shaped by outside perceptions, it stands to reason that the idea of race is also very subjective. John Berger says in his collection of essays The Ways of Seeing, “Every image embodies a way of seeing” (Berger 10). This is true about the image that Ortiz Cofer provides us in The Story of My Body. In this sense, Ortiz Cofer’s thought on the unreliable and ever-changing nature of society’s views allows …show more content…
She is constantly surrounded by the idea of race, despite not being entirely sure of what race means, to her or in society. She writes, “ I did not think of the color of my skin consciously except when I heard the adults talking about complexion” (Ortiz Cofer #). Despite this, Ortiz Cofer’s writing is saturated with race and its affect on the lives of others. She is constantly comparing the image of the “ideal Latina body” with her own. “…Puerto Rican boys had learned to respond to a fuller figure: long necks and a perfect little nose were not what they looked for in a girl.”. Once Ortiz Cofer moved to the United States, her own perceptions of beauty shifted from her being “bonita, pretty” (Ortiz Cofer #) to her comparing her looks to those of a white woman, “with a long neck and delicate features that resembled Audrey Hepburn” (Ortiz Cofer #). This shift in her thoughts reveals itself in her emphasis in someone being attractive “by Latino standards” (Ortiz Cofer #), her wishing to be Wonder Woman, and finding pride in her similarities to Audrey Hepburn reflects the societal concept of beauty reflecting westernized “white” …show more content…
This text is fuelled by Ortiz Cofer’s personal narratives. The use of her anecdotes provide a sympathetic view into her own personal experience. Despite the tragic nature of her stories, she does not have an emotional view when discussing it, but rather an objective view. She is not cold, but distant. This allows us to see the subjectivity through an almost impartial view, despite her own intimate experiences. This is displayed when she talks about seeing her mother from a photograph, describing her as “a stunning young woman by Latino standards: long, curly black hair, and round curves in a compact frame.” (Ortiz Cofer # emphasis Amador) By describing her mother from a photograph as opposed to Ortiz Cofer’s actual memories of her, she places distance between this Latino woman and herself. She is not necessarily involved in this narrative, occupying the space of a passive
In the essay of Mr.Gary Soto, we learn about his experiences about falling in love with someone of a different race. Ever since he was young, he would be lectured that marrying a Mexican women would be the best option for his life. Gary’s grandmother would always proclaim: “... the virtues of marrying a Mexican girl: first, she could cook,second, she acted like a woman, not a man, in her husband’s home” (pp.219). Being conditioned into the notion that all Mexican woman have been trained to be proper women, Mr. Soto set out on finding his brown eyed girl; however, what love had quite a different plan. This paper will cover three different themes Gary’s essay: The tone, the mindset of the character’s mindsets, and the overall message of the
Torres, Hector Avalos. 2007. Conversations with Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Writers. U.S.: University of New Mexico press, 315-324.
This novel is a story of a Chicano family. Sofi, her husband Domingo together with their four daughters – Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and Loca live in the little town of Tome, New Mexico. The story focuses on the struggles of Sofi, the death of her daughters and the problems of their town. Sofi endures all the hardships and problems that come her way. Her marriage is deteriorating; her daughters are dying one by one. But, she endures it all and comes out stronger and more enlightened than ever. Sofi is a woman that never gives up no matter how poorly life treats her. The author- Ana Castillo mixes religion, super natural occurrences, sex, laughter and heartbreak in this novel. The novel is tragic, with no happy ending but at the same time funny and inspiring. It is full of the victory of the human spirit. The names of Sofi’s first three daughters denote the three major Christian ideals (Hope, Faith and Charity).
In the essay “How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes” written by Alexis de Tocqueville and the personal narrative “The Story of My Body” written by Judith Ortiz Cofer, both authors compare some social values from their hometown to those of America. In his essay, the European author Alexis de Tocqueville goes to America to examine the social position of American women and compares the equality of sexes between the two countries. From his observation, he concludes that unlike the status of women in Europe, American women are morally and intellectually equal as men despite the difference of their gender roles. His target audience may probably be some elder people since young readers may find his assumptions antiquated as his essay has been written for nearly two centuries. Similarly, in “The Story of My Body,” Ortiz Cofer, who is born in Puerto Rico, describes how people see her differently when she moves from Puerto Rico to America. She subdivides her personal story into four sections: “Skin,” “Color,” “Size,” and “Looks” to clearly narrate her personal experiences. Ortiz Cofer’s story makes connection with a diversity of readers as many of the readers probably have some similar experiences like hers. Although both authors use comparison as strategy, Ortiz Cofer is more successful in drawing readers’ attention and convincing them of her point of views through her personal narrative, while Tocqueville’s use of his observation without legitimate evidence is less successful in persuading readers of his position.
Most of Judith Ortiz Cofer’s work is highly biographical and inspired by her own experience as a Puerto Rican girl growing up bilingual between the two very different cultures of her native land and New Jersey. She names her grandmother as the “feisty personage” (Rivera 109) “whose voice convinced her of the power of the power of story-telling” (Das 59) and from which Cofer “inherits her storytelling vein” (Rivera 109). She realizes “early in life, [...] that storytelling was a form of empowerment” and “that the women in [her] family were passing on power from one generation to another through fables and stories. They were teaching each other how to cope with life in a world where women led restricted lives” (Rivera 106). Indeed, said stories
Judith Ortiz Cofer writes about her experiences as a Puerto Rican woman. She explains how she understands the English language well and travels as far as she can, but somehow, the island follows her. People view her as a Latin Woman, and nothing past that. As a girl, she learned to “behave like a proper señorita” (Cofer), but her mother confused her by encouraging a mature look. This illustrates how in society, women are taught to cover up and dress modest, yet society also says to look sexy and feminine. This brings me to my point,words and connotations are powerful. The words ‘sexy’ and ‘feminine’ have sexual connotations to them, so does the word ‘Latina’. In the media, when a celebrity is the topic, for instance Jennifer Lopez, the words ‘hot’ or ‘fierce’ are often associated with her. Why can’t a caucasian celebrity like Jennifer Lawrence be hot? “Mixed cultural signals have perpetuated certain stereotypes—for example, that of a Hispanic woman as the “Hot Tamale” or sexual firebrand...In their special vocabulary, advertisers have designated “sizzling” and “smoldering” as the adjectives of choice for describing not only foods but also the women of Latin America” (Cofer). Words are influential. Throughout the years, language controls the way society sees different races and genders. For example, the word ‘nigger’ is just a word without the meaning behind it,
Esquivel was born the third of four children, and when growing up storytelling was very important in childhood (Esquivel, Laura). She grew up in Mexico City with her father, Julio Caesar Esquivel, who worked as a telegraph operator, Her mom, and three other siblings (Esquivel, Laura). Esquivel and her father would make up stories together and record them with his reel-to-reel tape recorder (Esquivel, Laura). She grew up in a Catholic household, but she describes her religious background as “eclectic” (Esquivel, Laura). In addition, the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s greatly shaped Esquivel’s perspective on gender relations and artistic expression.
The struggle to find a place inside an un-welcoming America has forced the Latino to recreate one. The Latino feels out of place, torn from the womb inside of America's reality because she would rather use it than know it (Paz 226-227). In response, the Mexican women planted the seeds of home inside the corral*. These tended and potted plants became her burrow of solace and place of acceptance. In the comfort of the suns slices and underneath the orange scents, the women were free. Still the questions pounded in the rhythm of street side whispers. The outside stare thundered in pulses, you are different it said. Instead of listening she tried to instill within her children the pride of language, song, and culture. Her roots weave soul into the stubborn soil and strength grew with each blossom of the fig tree (Goldsmith).
Catholicism glorifies and represents mothers as the main foundation of the family through the example of the passive and unconditional loving Mary, the mother of Jesus Crist. This idea of the mother as unconditional lover beings has been passed on and reproduced in the Chicana/o community. Gil Cuadros and Reyna Grande through their autobiographical work testify against this predominate idea of the mothers being caring and loving persons. Even though most mothers fall into the norm of a normal mother, normality is subjective, therefore Cuadros and Grande’s work represent the complexities of reality. Grande’s The Distance Between Us and Cuadro’s City of God are autobiographical narratives that incorporate reality as a form of testimonial of existence, an act of healing and resilience. Given that these author’s life experiences can be
In the beginning of the essay, Silko describes her great-grandmother as being beautiful even though she had manly features, she was “dark and handsome"(Disch 201). In the Western world beauty is based on your physical appearance, however, the Pueblo
The act of choosing race has been a question lingering in the minds of people for the last century. Many men and women choose to identify, or pass as a race that is not really their own. Race is a very broad term, one that people identify themselves with, or one used to describe ethnic background. Although some people may see it fit to choose their race depending on the situation, race cannot be chosen. This paper will show with examples from Nella Larsen’s Passing that race cannot be chosen, no matter how hard one may try to perceive themselves as another race. Through the story of Irene and Clare, both women use passing as white to their advantage as well as disadvantage. Their storylines interlink with the fact that one cannot choose their
Judith Ortiz Cofer is a Puerto Rican whose writing often examines the conflict and the beauty of cultures mixing together, as people immigrate to America. Though she exhibits a strong connection to her Latin heritage, she often seems to also resent that part of her life. There are many standards and expectations in the Puerto Rican society which Cofer writes to subvert, viewing them negatively. As a Puerto Rican woman, Cofer often disagrees with the limits and expectations placed on a woman in Puerto Rican society, and this attitude is the subject of much of her work. In “Claims,” the speaker describes “Grandmother.” Cofer uses this poem to illustrate a family and describe an individual, as well as telling the reader about parts of Puerto Rican culture, such as its views on women’s roles and on sexuality.
In the monograph, Celia Alvarez Muñoz by Roberto A. Tejada examines the prolific artwork of influential multimedia Chicana artist, Celia Alvarez Muñoz. Celia Alvarez Munoz was born in El Paso, Texas where she experienced the culture, linguistic, and historical clashes among the U.S. and Mexico border. She applies her Chicana identity and experience to illustrate both American and Mexican cultures. Tejada uses textual and historical analysis to examine and conceptualize her artwork. Moreover, he highlights Alvarez Muñoz feminist perspective, cultural background, political involvement, and innovative usage of cultural and symbolic artifacts that express her Chicana experience and the prevalent political social issues. Thus, Celia Alvarez Muñoz
Judith Cofer from Puerto Rico wrote “The Myth of The Latin Woman” as you proceed to read her short story you see the way that she projects her emotions in her story while combining ethos, pathos and logos. While reading you can also feel the way she views stereotypes towards Latin women from those that aren’t of latin decent. During this reading you can defiantly get the sense of the way that these stereotypes can be disturbing towards those who are of Latin decent.
In the case of discriminating and judging people based on their looks, history has not changed in the past five centuries. In William Shakespeare’s play “Othello,” Othello is respected for his status as military general for the Venetian army and his stance while he is discriminated for his looks and race -a commonality of the time as the Moors were not accepted by society. This eventually led to the demise of Othello and his “falling” into society’s perceptions. Similarly, because of the media portrayal and our looks, hispanic females in today’s American society are both dominating for the “spicy latina” and as a symbol of sex and “spiciness” for “spicy latina.” As a result of these “spicy latina” portrayals, Latina women are put in a position where it is expected for them to dress and act the way they are portrayed in the media.