4-5 pages essay

Sometimes an attractive story will make some facts more easily be discover and understand. Cofer's "Volar" is the one that won't let readers down. In this short story, Cofer uses a little girl as a narrator telling her fantasy, and through the conversation between her mother and father in her perspective, she transforms the reader's attention successfully from plot to the background of the characters and social value on that time. Although the narrator doesn't have many conversations in the article. Through the words, we can still find out that how does the girl in an environment like this sees this world in her fantasy and thoughts.

We can easily find out what a person wants deeply in his mind through fantasy or dreams. And It is not hard to find out that the desire the girl what to escape, and free herself from the place she lives. She mentioned: “I would get on tip-toe, arms outstretched in the position for flight and jump out my fifty-story-high window into the black lake of the sky. From up there, over the rooftops, I could see everything, even beyond the few blocks of our barrio.” (Cofer 204) What reflect in her fantasy is the limitation of reality. And she mentions “Everything” it is possible for her that she never sees the places that far more from her home. What is following up “even beyond the few blocks of our barrio” better reinforce the fact that she barely has a chance to go outside.

We can discover more details about the background in her fantasy. It is not hard to deduce what kind of life they living and how did the landlord of their house give them under pressure. She explains: “I played a trick on him. Going up to his building’s chimney, I blew a little puff of my super-breath into his fireplace, scattering his stacks of money so that he had to start counting all over again.” (Cofer 204) Reflecting on what she did to her landlord in the fantasy emotion of her hate and dislike shows completely. She describes that she will “scattering his stacks of money so that he had to start counting all over again” which means this landlord might be the one who pushes them hard, and he is the one who brings whole family emotion of fear angry and lost.

Her mother has a similar situation as she has, and through some conversation, Cofer shows the status of women at that time indirectly to the readers. “when it was her turn to speak, she would, more often than not, try shifting the topic toward her desire to see her familia on the Island” (Cofer 204) Different from explaining her fantasy, by using her mother’s own words especially the using of “when” we can tell that this isn’t the first time they have a conversation like this and “try” settle the status of her mom in this family. That every decision from her should be allowed by her husband.

If Cofer uses the girl reveals the life of the low class, the mother will be the symbolization of women in that age. “She’d sigh deeply and say the same thing the view from her kitchen window always inspired her to say: Ay, si yo pudiera volar.” (Cofer 205) Cofer shows helplessness from the mother. Not only because of the poor but also more about the helplessness of this society and life she had, or what Cofer wants the reader to understand the women had at that age. The use of Spanish reduct more of the emotion from her mother.

Works cited:

Judith Ortiz Cofer “Volar” The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly j Mays, portable 12th ed., W. W. Norton, 2017, pp 203-205

This is how my professor’s comments below:

--Be sure to distinguish between the author of this story (Cofer) and the narrator that Cofer imagines for this story. --For each of your paragraphs, discuss the context for the quotation so that readers understand what’s going on during the moment. --Include just the page numbers in parentheses (if a page number is available). No author name necessary in the parenthetical citation for works of literature. --Use the correct verb tense; in general, we use the present tense to discuss works of fiction (use the past tense to describe real-life events or events that are part of the exposition/occurred prior to our introduction to the story and its characters). - --Use a comma after the speaker + verb signal phrase. P1. -Eliminate fragments such as "And It is not hard to find out that the desire the girl what to escape, and free herself from the place she lives." Connect this fragment to the previous sentence to eliminate the fragment and for a clearer topic sentence. This paragraph actually highlights 2 really important points: a) the reality in which the narrator lives AND b) the narrator's desire to escape this reality. Please discuss each of these points in a separate paragraph in your actual essay draft. I think you'll find plenty of details/examples from the story that you could use to support each point/paragraph! P2. Again, this paragraph discusses 2 different points: a) the financial reality in which the narrator lives AND b) the narrator's desire to escape this reality. Discuss each point in a separate paragraph. In your actual essay draft, move related paragraphs closer together. P3. Unclear argument - How does this quotation suggest some kind of gender bias? Look at the context for the narrator's observation. The narrator's parents are engaged in a conversation, and as such, take turns talking as most people do not talk at the same time in a conversation. P4. Unclear argument: "If Cofer uses the girl reveals the life of the low class, the mother will be the symbolization of women in that age." Also, the "helplessness of women" discussion in the para is hard to follow. I think you are right that the mother feels helpless, but is she really helpless because of her status as a woman or because the family is poor and can't afford a trip to Puerto Rico?
Thesis help: Overall, what argument might you make based on these 4 paras? Perhaps you could argue that the narrator attempts to escape her reality and what that escape attempt means? What realities does she try to escape -- financial? Racial? Both?
--Introduce quotations with a signal phrase. Avoid dropped quotations.