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Silent Dancing Judith Ortiz Cofer Analysis

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Sampson Paquette Professor Edwards ENGL101C 9-13-2016 The Dance The essay: “Silent Dancing” By Judith Ortiz Cofer reflects on the transitional period in her life where herself and her immediate family made the move from Puerto Rico to the Big Apple, otherwise known as New York city. The timeline for the essay was set in the 1950’s where cultural fusion and blatant racism ran rampant in the streets. A melting pot slowly getting more and more diverse. It describes the struggle which is being foreign in a new land that wants you to assimilate to its lifestyle and habits while on the inside trying to maintain cultural purity. “Soon after, because of economic pressures on our growing family, my father joined the U.S Navy.” (Cofer,48). It was apparent that throughout the story that the move was influenced more by money than anything. The move was absolutely uncomfortable for the family. It was the stark opposite of the environment they were used to, different people, different …show more content…

And sometimes to achieve such goals we have to take risks and move to new places or make decisions that put’s one in a grievous position. This story was just an example of the emotional toll we as humans take to make a gratifying life for ourselves. Some embrace change and some can only take small bits at a time. Overall it is important to make these moves and to find a niche with what little time we have on this planet; be it for yourself or your family. Embrace the good and cast-off the bad because whether you’re living in a place you have been your whole life or are just getting adjusted to new surroundings, the feelings of wanting to be accepted for faith, culture and ethnic back-round are as real as both places. And to be empathetic towards all people is essential to the understanding of a tolerant and respectable lifestyle that we can all share mutually despite our

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