My First Free Summer Poem Analysis

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In Julia Alvarez’s short stories, poems, and essay her style of writing helps to capture the purpose of her work. In many of her stories such as “My First Free Summer”, “Exile”, “All American Girl”, and “Antojos” Julia makes a connection through all of her stories by her strong use of word choice. Julia being a latina writer with her own personal experiences of immigration can really get her message through and make the connection between the reader and characters of the stories stronger. Julia Alvarez always shares a part of her life through her characters by the incorporation of Spanish words, sensory images, and figurative language to communicate her message that immigrants are not alone when facing many conflict on their journey to a better …show more content…
In the essay, “My First Free Summer”, she sets the scene when they are waiting to get their documents checked and either be welcomed or not welcomed into America for a better life. “Next morning, we are standing inside a large echoing hall as stern American officials review our document”(249). When they are standing waiting for their documents, the suspense for the readers grow for which the reader doesn't know if they will make it to their better life and the growing of suspense brings the reader closer to the characters hoping they will get the life the life they will greatly appreciate. Julia when coming to America may have gone through this process and most likely used her personal experience to relate to the reader or make the reader feel as if they were in the ‘immigrant's’ position and state of mind. In the poem, “Exile”, they take a different approach on making it to America. “…in the black ford, Papi grim at the wheel, winding through back roads, stroke by difficult stroke, out on the highway, heading toward the coast” (251,26-28). The family in this poem drives to America and the scene is set on their surroundings and and also their grim father who might be grim because the risk of getting caught is at very high stake and is second guessing his decision that he has made for his family. The …show more content…
In “My first free summer” the mom of daughter is forced to of fake a smile just to make sure her that her kids don't suspect anything but however the main character does. “She wore that too-bright smile she sometimes pasted on her terrified face” (248-249). The Mom of the daughter having too paste a smile on her face shows that at that point in time she felt alone and scared because of the route they were taking to get to a better life. The mom feels has if she is the only one who is in that situation and feel like she can't relate to anyone but that is the purpose of Julia’s writing, to make sure that immigrants know that there are other of them out there and that there are other having to past a smile on their face everyday just to give the life they want their family to have. In “Exile” she is also terrified because she catches on to what is happening and it is out of her control so she feels as if she is just having to go with the flow and just hope the outcome is what is expected. “I let myself lie back in the deep waters, my arms out like Jesus’ on his cross”(250,21-22). While she lets herself lie back in deep water she is just wanting to be able to feel free but with her arms out like Jesus’ on a cross, she feels as if she is tied down and as no choice but to just lie there and say
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