Abuela Invents The Zero Analysis

Personal values, the compass of our lives, are honed through myriad experiences, from the mundane to the profound. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and "Abuela Invents the Zero" by Judith Ortiz Cofer vividly illustrate this. While Tom's values are forged through the toil of hard work, Constancia's are shaped by the complexities of family dynamics and societal pressures. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is about a boy named Tom Sawyer who must do hard work instead of playing like a child. The novel explores personal values by depicting Tom working diligently instead of playing and developing a value that will affect his life. Meanwhile, "Abuela Invents the Zero" depicts Constancia, a young girl who isn't fond of her grandmother because

In Paragraph 7, the author states, "Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work." This line reveals how Tom must continue working hard despite the temptations to have fun and be an adolescent. This experience may form Tom's values by making him favor pleasure over work. Specific experiences can also change personal values, as depicted in "Abuela Invents the Zero." "Abuela Invents the Zero" explores personal values when Constancia unintentionally makes her abuela feel inconvenient; she doesn't want to be seen with her in public and is frustrated when she has to look after her. In Paragraph 11, Constancia states, "Then I lead her down the aisle so everybody can see me with my bizarre grandmother." This statement confirms how Constancia feels about her abuse and, later, how it hurts her grandmother. This event changes Constancia's values from favoring what her friends think about her to favoring her loved ones and their feelings, even if it comes at her own expense. In summary, life experiences shape our values, which can change. As such, Twain and Ortiz Cofer incorporate shaping and changing individual