Case Study - When I Was Puerto Rican

6 Pages 1553 Words

Esmeralda Santiago’s autobiographically based novel When I Was Puerto Rican follows the story of Esmeralda from age four to adolescence and her journey from Puerto Rico New York. Her story begins in rural Machón at age four where her and her family move to “a rectangle of rippled metal sheets on stilts hovering in the middle of a red circle of dirt” (7). Thus begins Esmeralda’s journey into a life surrounded by poverty and responsibilities. Her warring parents and seven siblings lead a life filled with chaos and caring as Esmeralda begins her trip trough childhood. Esmeralda is often expected to handle adult like responsibilities at a young age. Before she is senorita she is expected to care for the house and siblings and when she fails her mother says “you’re lazy that’s the problem. You think everything will be handed to you” (124). Despite being weighed down with responsibilities Esmeralda still manages to be bright and creative child taking in the world around her. She is immersed in her jíbaro culture as well as the culture of her city dwelling paternal grandparents and extended family. The pillars of Esmeralda’s young life are the ideas that a woman should never become jamona and what lo que una mujer peine que hacer are domestic and family related roles. She also learns the cultural beliefs of her various Puerto Rican environments, learning how to send a dead baby to heaven according to her mother’s beliefs and the Catholic Church as introduced by her paternal grandmother. Esmeralda is also exposed to many types of adult relationships from her philandering father, his parents, her wowing mother and an assortment of friends from the city and country. Through friends her own age Esmeralda learns of her other types of families from her own peer group. Through all these conflicting views of the world Esmeralda grows from a toddler into adolescence in Puerto Rico . Her physical and emotional growths as...