Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Description Of A Young Girl’s Challenges As Illustrated In Her Book, Volar

Volar is the story of a young girl facing many challenges as she grows up. Some children are not as powerful as they used to be when they were young. They are also physically smaller than adults. The young girl imagines herself as an adult superhero to cope with her feelings. She describes how she climbs up to high places in their apartment and how her bodies are growing as they go. She describes her feelings as she climbs up: “Step by Step I would Fill Out: My legs would grow longer, my arms would harden into steel” (Kraver). She sees herself as a super-powered adult. It can be seen as a metaphor for her ascension up to the top of a balcony. People often describe their desire to overcome whatever difficulties they face. The image of the girl scaling the stairs represents her struggle to get over the issues she’s facing.

She describes her life in a tiny apartment. This is a sign that her family may be living in poverty. She said, “In mornings I’d awake in my tiny room with the incongruous-atleast in our tiny apartment -white “princess” furniture.” The reader can see that the family of the girl is having financial difficulties. The girl mentions her landlord later and describes how her parents responded to him. She claims that she once saw her landlord, whom she knew was a threat to my parents, in a treasure-room, wearing an ermine and large gold crown, and sitting in a long, dark coat. He sat in a chair on the floor and counted his dollars.” (Kraver). The family’s financial problems are evident in her depiction. She is trying to play tricks on the landlord to show her desire to help her parents deal with their financial problems. Many immigrants have difficulty finding good-paying jobs. It’s possible the girl’s parents are working extremely hard to make ends meet. Another topic is the struggle of immigrants. The little girl describes gazing out at their Spanish-speaking neighbors. She also describes her parents talking softly while she sipped coffee con leche. (Kraver). It is obvious that the girl is Hispanic. People of minorities often face unique difficulties and struggles. The little girl emphasizes the way her hair is straightened and made golden by her transformation into the superhero she dreams about. A Barbie doll-like Barbie doll-looking girl with blonde hair is stereotypically a symbol of beauty. One possibility is that many immigrant young girls find it hard to feel beautiful when compared to American beauty standards. The girl also said that she loves spying on boys and that this is how she copes with her growing desire to have boys.

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  • rosssaunders

    Ross Saunders is an educational blogger and professor, who has written extensively on topics such as education reform, online learning, and assessment. He has also spoken on the topic at various conferences and universities.

rosssaunders Written by:

Ross Saunders is an educational blogger and professor, who has written extensively on topics such as education reform, online learning, and assessment. He has also spoken on the topic at various conferences and universities.

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