Analysis Of `` American History `` By Judith Ortiz Cofer

Tragedy has the ability to simultaneously bring people together and push them apart. Well, such is essence when Judith Ortiz Cofer, the writer of â€Å"American History,† explores the theme of tragedy while she dwells upon the day tragedy struck the world. A numerous amount of people in her community were devastated by the unexpected death of former President John F. Kennedy, as they agreed with his stance against racial discriminations and prejudice. However, Cofer lacks the understanding of discrimination towards her culture, race, and gender. Rather than collectively facing the tragedy of JFK’s death, she is more taken by her own tragedy; being shunned by the mother of her neighborhood crush, Eugene. Recognizing that Cofer is ignorant to†¦show more content†¦Recognizing her daughter’s ignorance, Cofer’s mother warns her by stating: â€Å"‘You are forgetting who you are, Nià ±a. I have seen you staring down at that boy’s house. Yo u are heading for humiliation and pain’† (972). Her awareness of racial prejudice leads her to warn Cofer of visiting Eugene’s house because she does not want this pain to inflict on her daughter. It is necessary for Cofer to be able to acknowledge the truth about of her culture, race, and class because people will discriminate others based off their identity, hence why her mother warns Cofer of visiting Eugene’s house. Not only does her mother warns her of the humiliation and pain that she will face, but she did not stop Cofer from leaving the house. Cofer needs to understand the circumstances that comes from her identity because it is essential to her coming of age. Instead, Cofer is walking into a reality, the true pain and humiliation, blinded after ignoring her mother’s warning. Essentially, the outcome from Cofer’s encounter with Eugene’s mother takes a drastic turn in her life and it leads her break her innocent mind. When Cofer arrives at Eugene’s house, her mother approaches her with an unpleasant welcoming. For instance, Eugene’s mother questions where Cofer lives while she â€Å"pointed up to El Building, which looked particularly ugly,Show MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Latin Women : I Just Met A Girl Named Maria1466 Words   |  6 PagesWomen: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz. The essay I did not believe it had to be in our syllabus because it really did not have to do much with the student learning outcome was The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. In the essay of Judith Ortiz The Myth of the Latin Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria was an essay I believe many students were able to relate, understand, and reflect with the arguments she pointed out. Judith Ortiz seemed passionate in her essay becauseRead MoreThe Importance Of A Good Society Is Not Achieved By Chance Or By Default1446 Words   |  6 Pages The quantitative analysis of the merit of a society is one very multifaceted and complex task; however, one truth remains certain: a good society is not achieved by chance or by default. Each and every successful society has succeeded because at a certain point, members of the society acted collectively to create structure and organization. Universities and institutions, transportation networks, and public healthcare, are all structures that have been put in place to help individuals succeed inRead MoreIn The United States, Not Only Are Latin Women Being Misunderstood,1508 Words   |  7 Pagesbut African American women are also stereotyped by other people. Latin women are discriminated in their dressing and service occupations, while African American Americans are stereotyped in sexually promiscuous, caregiving role, and â€Å"welfare queens.† Both of them are victims of racial stereotypes, which affect them negatively on their identities and characteristics. However, the di fferentiation of their cultures makes them being stereotyped in distinct aspects. Some of African American women’s stereotypesRead MoreDescriptive Analysis6093 Words   |  25 PagesOrwell’s in intent but much more nostalgic in tone. The story in her essay is summarized within another story; she is telling a story about the stories she told her father when she was a child. Judith Ortiz Cofer uses narration to introduce and exemplify the points she is making in a larger analysis of stereotypes of Puerto Rican women. The stories in her text illustrate the kinds of prejudices she has faced as a Latina. Andre Dubus’s essay â€Å"Digging† is an elegiac text mourning both the loss