Quotes

Aria

Author: Richard Rodriguez

" The teacher quizzed: 'Boys and girls, why do we use that word in this sentence? Could we think of a better word to use there? Would the sentence change its meaning if the words were different. And wasn't there a better way of saying much the same thing.' " (34-35)

      This quote reminds how teachers speak to children differently within the classroom which makes me think of Deplit. Deplit explains how a black teacher would question a student compared to how a white teacher would. Once you have read Deplit and then read this quote, it would make one believe that these questions would most likely come out of a white teachers mouth instead of a black teacher. Simply because most of the time black teachers are more broad with their questions, rather than asking a question to let the students know they are doing the wrong thing. This might confuses the student or changes their perspective on the question because they are not familiar with the way they question was asked; it may not be like this at home.

" (often the parent wouldn't understand.) The child would need to repeat himself. (still the parent misunderstood.) The young voice, frustrated, would end up saying, "Never mind"-- the subject was closed." (37)

       I chose this quote because I felt it connected to me on more of a personal level. I actually thought this was funny because I have the tendency to do exactly what this quote is saying to my parents. The scenario goes step by step with the quote. At the time this happens with my parents and I it is very frustrating to sit and repeat the exact same thing I said two seconds ago and I still was not understood. However now that I am reading it, I feel like you lose a sense of connection with your parents because the communication is not there and the child like myself has no patience. Which then just leaves the conversation closed just because of a impatient "Never mind".


" So they do  not realize that  while  one suffers a  diminished sense  of private individuality  by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality." (39)
       This was the last sentence of the whole story and i felt like it had a big meaning behind it. I think the author was trying to explain how even though they nuns came and took his culture/language right from under him he still gained a achievement of learning the dominate language in the school systems, so even though he suffered he still gained at the end.



Talking Point: Should one's culture be pulled from their own home environment ?
This is a Article I found online that I believe relates with this story