Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
A Prayer, a Candle, and a Notebook
What "Growing Up Themes" do you see in the essay? Include Page numbers.
- Facing death pg. 22
- Family dynamics pgs. 21-23, 27
- Cultural, family or community customs & traditions pgs. 23-24
- Experiencing conflicts with social and cultural realities such as:
- biculturalism/bilingualism pg. 24-25
- Religion pgs. 28-29
4. Focus
a. Who or what is this selection about-a person, a place, an animal, an object?
This selection is specifically about Cofer's parents and their transition from Puerto Rico to American life.
b. Describe in a phrase or two the relationship between the narrator and this person or place.
Cofer has a distinct relationship with each of her parents. The way she shares her stories about each of them tells us that she tended to have a difficult time with connecting with her mother and had a closer connection with her father, but loved both equally for their characteristics
c.
How is the importance of the
relationship revealed—through thoughts of the narrator, or the
narrator’s feelings? Or the writer’s use of details and
description? Or the writer’s sharing of memories about experiences
or events in connection to this relationship? Find 2 passages to
support your conclusions.
The importance of the relationships are revealed by the way she explains her stories. She references her past and describes how each of her parents took the transition into the U.S. On page 22, Cofer shares the death of her father and how that affected her and her mother. She shares some grief because not only did she lose her father, she loses her mother because she decided to go back to Puerto Rico. Starting on page 28, Cofer explains her mother's religious practices and her relationship with her mother when purchased her mother's cuentos de amor.
Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
The Woman Who Slept with One Eye Open
In this essay, I encountered multiple stories that Cofer shares. The story that impacted me the most was the one about Cofer's student. This young woman was a hard working mother and had found herself to have no time to be able to write. She then figured out a strategy for herself so she could write, while maintaining her regular daily responsibilities. This story motivates me to continue to push myself as I go through my years in college. If I want to accomplish something, I will do everything I can do to be able to get to where I want to be. I cannot simply give up and move on without trying every single possibility. Some day, I will find myself in the position of this student and I will try to find my time to make myself happy and not worry about other things that will be blocking my way.
Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
The Woman Who Slept with One Eye Open
5. Topic/Subjects
a. List the main subject or topics that are revealed in each chapter or selection?
The main subject in this essay are the stories about woman.
b. Are there any Growing Up Themes explored in this selection?
Controlling or grappling with conflicts or issues concerning...
-one's future, goals, or career plans.
-gender role socialization
and cultural expectations about gender
roles
-beginning the quest for individuality
c.
What motifs (recurring themes,
subjects, symbols, description, sensory images, character
relationships, character conflicts) are present, if any, in the
chapters or selections that we have seen before?
-Power of women
-trouble of becoming a writer
-comparing two cultures
-machoism
6. Title Significance
a. What does the title suggest to you about the selection before you read it?
The title had suggested something about cautiousness. Sleeping with both eyes closed means you are unable to see anything but your thoughts and not the world around you.
b. After you finish the selection, what do you understand the title to mean in relation to the story the writer has told you? Explain briefly.
The title connects to the essay because Maria Sabida is the woman who is sleeping with one eye open. She sleeps with one eye open because she wants to be aware of her surroundings since she is married to a killer.
c. Briefly explain what you think the writer (not the character narrator) intended us to understand as the significance of this memory. Find passages that reveal the significance to you.
The writer intended us to understand the different stories and the difference of the women in each one. She wants us to identify ourselves with the stories. There have been multiple times where I was Maria Sabida and there have been times where I was Maria la Loca.
-writer as an artist
