Semester 2! Reflection 3

This short story is a prequel to the short story "Sewing and Singing, The beginning is everything." and it's called "Tia Lola came to visit." This time the protagonist is different. Instead of it being Tia Lola it is now Miguel. He wants to have a normal family again, and to gain friends. He wants the life he had before he moved to Vermont and his parents got divorced. This character is very sensitive towards his mother and it seems like he is always trying to avoid his mother's tears.

The antagonist is himself because he is incapable of adapting to the new environment and being himself around people who are unfamiliar with Latinos. He tries to act more American which leaves him unhappy. Because of his negativity he is unwilling to appreciate his roots and conform to his surroundings.

The theme of this story is family and love. Throughout the story the use of characterization gives the reader the ability to comprehend the message of the story. The way he shows the importance of family through Miguel's actions show the theme clearly. Miguel likes to think on his toes and always tries to find way to avoid his mother from crying. He is also always wishing for his father to come back. Internal thought is another good technique used to figure out his sentiments towards the separation of this parents. Another theme is coming of age which is used to show how Miguel is trying to develop his own identity and individuality. The author uses hyperbole to exaggerate the situations in which Miguel is put in. She is always creating scenes that have fighting involved in order to make the scene develop Miguel's character.

The author's tone throughout the story is solemn. Every event is made to seem sad and like Miguel has no way into making his life better. The author uses symbolism in order to convey this tone. She uses the blue bowl as a way to create conflict in the household because that's where the mother and father ate their wedding cake from. The author also uses the technique of descriptive language and the five senses in order to show the readers how the mood in the story is and how one should feel as they are reading.

The crises action of the story is when Miguel and his sister found their aunt in the airport using their Spanish skills. At that moment he realizes that it is important to be in touch with his culture. He also sees the benefits in being bilingual and without the little Spanish that he knew his aunt would have been stranded in the United States. In the end the protagonist doesn't get the perfect family that he's always asked for but he learned to be happy with what he has. He also started to care less of what others thought of him and realized that he must embrace his heritage.

What I enjoyed most about this story is when Miguel had to speak on the loud speaker. At that point he realized that being fluent in both languages is very important. On the loud speaker all he could manage to say was "Tia Lola. Te quiero." Which means Aunt Lola, I love you.