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Analysis Of Jimmy Santiago Baca's Who Understands Me But Me

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As an orphan, Jimmy Santiago Baca endured hardships that changed his lifestyle. Through his younger life, Baca received little to no support and often found himself in detention centers or wandering through the streets only to correlate with street life. At the age of twenty, Baca found himself facing drug charges on flimsy evidence, and served 6 years in prison. However, exacting whatever revenge possible, he stole an attendant’s textbook and began to expand his knowledge. Eventually, with the help of a pen pal, Baca began to develop his own style of poetry. “Who Understands Me But Me” is spoken from Baca’s view on his treatment of imprisonment. The poem recalls Baca’s realization that a state of contentment comes from realizing one's true …show more content…

Immediately from the start, the unknown oppressors attempt to isolate the author by “build[ing] walls higher” and “paint[ing] the windows black” so that he does not establish communication with the outside world. Subsequently, the oppressors locking of his cage represents his imprisonment (Constantakis lines16-17: 278). In lines 5-9, the author’s “heart” gets “rip[ped] open” and his life “crush[ed]”, so that he does not have any goals to live for, and so that he does not live his life as he wants. The captors describe him as “beastly and fiendish”, which serves as a mental restraint to the author’s outward attitude; while having “no passage out of hell” indicates that the author will remain stuck with his woes until he can no longer handle them. The imagery creates an idea of superiority for the oppressors over the author, and their cruelty through torture. In addition, Baca must “live with pain” that the captors inflict upon him, and with his “hate” because they treat him with hate (lines 33-34: 278). Baca no longer remains “the same man” after suffering the hatred the captors give him, and seethes with anger due to his inability to seek vengeance (lines 35-37: 278). Also, without the love of “brothers”, he does not feel the bond in a relationship, and seeks only revenge. The author expresses his hate and pain caused by imprisonment, but …show more content…

Baca knows he cannot achieve many dreamful feats, such as performing magic or making “the heavens open or the earth tremble”, yet still remains “amazed at [himself]”. However, he accepts himself for what he can do and can face his fears and live life like he wishes (lines 23-24:279). Moreover, after line 14, the author does not mention the oppressors during his reflection, indicating that he no longer cares about what they tell him. By “practic[ing] [to be himself]”, Baca finds parts of himself “never dreamed of.” This idea acquires stronger validation from the fact that his self-acceptance was “goaded out from under rocks in [his] heart”, meaning that he must delve into his inner consciousness to believe that he is right, even when the walls are “built higher”. The use of a period, in line 27, indicates another change in the author’s ideas, as if he contemplates the idea of continuing (line

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