Critical Analysis: Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez - Essay Example

s the assignment was due Critical Analysis: Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez Introduction A thought that is ‘seeded’ into an author’s mind is outputted in his or hers work. That ‘seeding’ of thought could be initiated or influenced by the ‘system’, in which the author lives or lived. That is, the author observing the environment, happenings, culture, events etc, he/she faced or lived from his/her childhood will ‘interpret’ it in a written form or autobiography. So, autobiography will be constructed using or including his/hers life’s environments, happenings... as the subject matter. The author’s life from childhood could be filled with either happiness or sadness, and this factor will most times set the style, language and tone of his/her work. And in the case of Mexican-American author Richard Rodriguez this concepts appears apt because his autobiography titled, Hunger of Memory highlights the problems he faced from his childhood to adulthood. Since Rodriguez belonged to a Mexican Immigrant family, living in America, his native language differed from his language of education. In the book, he encompasses his struggle to gain fluency in a foreign language, English. In course of his narration, Rodriguez touches the themes of separation, struggle to assimilate into a foreign culture, role of education in defining one’s status and role of perseverance in overcoming one’s weakness. Among them, the theme of separation and role of perseverance in overcoming one’s weakness is prominent. In this paper we will critically analyze both these themes. Separation Rodriguez, son of Mexican immigrants, was born in San Francisco but spoke only Spanish as his language of communication in his childhood. The little bit of English that he picked from his parents restricted him from mingling with other people. “I learned my first words of English overhearing my parents speak to strangers. At five years of age, I knew just enough English for my mother to trust me on errands to stores one block away. No more.” (Rodriguez 13). He felt comfortable amidst his family and friends. The world outside his house seemed alien to him. Even when he joined school, this shortcoming of his isolated him from other students in the class. When he joined the Catholic school in Sacramento, California, at the age of 6, he had speaking vocabulary of just 50 English words. Because of this limited knowledge of English, he became a confused and reticent boy with low confidence level. “Entering school, he knows very little English, and is shy and unconfident about speaking in class.”(Shay). So, his autobiography, Hunger of Memory details those tough times in his school and the resultant separation, in a pathetic as well as sympathetic style, language and tone. Throughout the book and specifically in the chapters, Aria, Achievement of Desire, Credo and Complexion, Rodriguez’s insecurities in English, the resultant isolation or separation and the role played by his family and Catholic Church, have lead to a self-absorbed style with a lot of strain flowing. This style brings up a lot of feelings and emotions that got built up in Rodriguez’s mind, in that phase of his life. Due to the separation he firstly suffered in his class, his emotion bordered on the feeling of loss and that got incorporated into the work. Also, this being the bad phase of his life, he distances from it and so uses the style of aloofness in these chapters. Since, Richard is also a victim of cultural clashes; he brings these elements in these parts of the work. That is, while describing how Hispanic background created the obstacles for him and prevented him from socializing with the fellow students, he uses the social analytical style to describe it. He focuses on his separation owing to his inability to speak English in a manner that resembled the language of the society where he led his life. Role of Perseverance Another theme that is depicted in the book is the role of perseverance in overcoming one’s weakness. The author, instead of succumbing to his shortcomings, works hard to surmount his limitations. The tone used in the work is always on the positive side and do not go on the negative side. Positive side in the sense, the book contains or creates a tone of optimism for struggling humans in particular boys and girls, who get separated from a group. That is, through the positive tone used, Rodriguez discusses how one should be aware of one’s weakness and the reservations or separations they normally face among his/hers group of friends due to those weakness. Then in the advisory tone, he suggests that it should be removed by working on it. Also, he says that by working on the weakness, one could change it into one’s strong point. Through his hard work and perseverance, the author achieves fluency in English and goes on to complete his university studies. While studying in the fourth grade, Rodriguez starts to read voraciously, as an attempt to improve his reading skills in English. His teachers praised and appreciated his commitment towards his reading activities. “Librarians who initially frowned when I checked out the maximum ten books at a time started saving books they thought I might like. Teachers would say to the rest of the class, I only wish the rest of you took reading as seriously as Richard obviously does.” (Rodriguez 61). Rodriguez’s commitment brings forth his determination to work towards removing the obstacles which prevented him from mixing with his classmates. In the book, Rodriguez describes how he achieves top educational qualification through a process after a long wait of time and struggle. “achieved what had eluded me for so long – the end of education”(Rodriguez 73). Because of that long wait and struggle, his language or use of words in his work also shows a specific pattern. But ultimately he succeeds in achieving the goal he had set from himself since his childhood. Conclusion The author highlights the themes of separation and the role of perseverance in overcoming the failings that an individual is struggling with, in his/her life through his personal experiences. Rodriguez’s inability to speak English effortlessly leads to his separation from his classmates in the school. But Rodriguez refuses to give in to his weakness. He works hard to achieve proficiency in English and persists till he succeeds in his endeavor. His perseverance pays off when he completes his university studies in a language which isolated him from his classmates. Rodriguez’s accounts of his life from his childhood to adulthood depict his problems and his struggles to resolve them. In course of his narration, Rodriquez inspires one to fight against one’s weakness and continue the struggle till the person accomplishes his/her goal. Works Cited Rodriquez, Richard. Hunger of Memory : The Education of Richard Rodriguez : an Autobiography. Bantam Books. 1982. Shay, Courtney. Book reviews: The Hunger of Memory, by Richard Rodriquez. 11 December 2008. http://www.helium.com/items/166955-book-reviews-the-hunger-of-memory-by- richard-rodriquez Read More