Esperanza Rising Analysis

Katherine Holitik

Ms. Smith

English I

December 10, 2015

Esperanza Rising Approach Paper

Summary Paragraph

Esperanza Rising by Pam Ryan shows the story of a young girl who had to become a woman when faced with challenges that changed her as a person for better or worse. Esperanza, the main character of the story, was born and raised in a wealthy family in Mexico around the end of the Mexican Revolution. She was a pampered child with little to no stress on her mind besides what silk dress she would wear or picking minor details of her birthday party. When her Papa is killed by a group of bandits, her uncle takes over his land and persists that her Mama marries him. Esperanza and her mother, along with a few loyal servants, decide to make

In Esperanza Rising, all the chapters are named after fruits and vegetables. Why do you think the author did this? Could it linked to where Esperanza finds work, or could it run deeper and represent her growing as a person through the years?

2. Keeping in mind the current issues involving immigration in the United States, how do you think Esperanza’s immigration would be different? Do you think she would be facing the same struggles she now as she did in the 1930s? Do you think Miguel would have been able to work on the railroad or that Esperanza’s mom would have been medically treated? Do you think their time in America would have been easier or harder on them? Explain.

3. Why did Miguel lie about what he was doing with the money Esperanza had saved up for her mother? Do you think it was right of

“’Do not be afraid to start over. When I was your age, I left Spain with my mother, father and sisters.. . . There were many hard times. But life was also exciting. And we had each other. Esperanza, do you remember the story of the phoenix, the lovely younger bird that is re-born from its own ashes?’ Esperanza nodded. Abuelita had read it to her many times from a book of myths. ‘We are like the phoenix,’ said Abuelita. ‘Rising again, with a new life ahead of us.’”

Key Passage Explanation

The primary theme of this novel is that even when you have nothing, you can build from that and find happiness. In the beginning of the novel, Esperanza leads a luxurious life. This life turns to ashes, quite literally. Esperanza’s uncle burns their house to the ground and threatens their safety. After that, Esperanza and her mother had no choice but to flee the country and start anew. Just like Abuelita, when she emigrated from Spain to Mexico, they had hard times and were miserable. They also had exciting, happy times. These times helped them rise from the ashes and create a new life in America from which they built upon to find their happiness in each other in America. Just like the phoenix, they rose again with their new life ahead of