The poem Dusting by Julia Alverez relays several ideas to the reader. It begins by describing a young child going about a house and writing their name on the furniture. The child 's mother follows behind her and, in the process of dusting, incidentally erases the writing. While this poem may seem superficial from a quick reading, it not only reflects some aspects of Alverez’s childhood, but it also reveals some thought provoking questions. In Dusting, through making an analogy to a relationship between a mother and her child, Julia Alvarez demonstrates her desire to break away from traditional or cultural expectations, express her individuality, be well-known, and, ultimately, she makes an important point about life. Before analyzing this poem, it is necessary to look at Julia Alverez 's life, as it seems to directly correlate with some of the ideas in Dusting. Julia Alverez was born in New York City in 1950. However, when she was a young child, her parents decide to move their family back to the Dominican Republic. After her parents got in trouble with the government, they moved back to the United States (Meyer 839). Alverez had difficulty fitting in with the new culture, but she quickly learned that she loved stories and enjoyed using her imagination. From that point on Alverez was determined to be a writer. However, poetry and writing of other cultures was not readily accepted by the public. Instead of becoming discouraged, Alverez had the audacity to continue to press