Symbolism In Esperanza Rising: The Struggle Of Women

In Society, women face struggles when it comes to their gender, but they have also struggled in working during hard times and what they want to do. Many stereotypes have been made about women due to them working and women having to struggle with the hardships of work. Women have struggled with these challenges for many years, but the great depression made it harder for them. Women back in that period had a hard life staying home and caring for their children while men went out looking for a job or working hard enough to buy at least a piece of bread. Although men had these hardships, what would have it been for a single mom during this terrible period? In Esperanza rising Pam Muñoz Ryan uses symbolism to convey gender struggles to women that

During the great depression, women had no choice but to work and do what men the provider of a family had to do to support their families. In the Book Esperanza Rising, Muñoz Ryan quotes “ Where is Papa? He had left early that morning with the vaqueros to work the cattle” (Muñoz Ryan 9). The quote shows that men in Mexico worked hard and will wake up early to get money to provide for their families. This goes to show that women would stay home while men go out to work. Overall the quote talks about how the father went out early to work and provide. When Mexicans started to emigrate to America single women with children also came to the states. In the Book the character mama tells an immigration officer “ ‘To work’ said Mama, handing him her documents as well” (82). The quote shows the mother's determination to work to be able to provide for her children and herself. This shows how women were stereotyped by gender as the officer was confused and kept asking questions about her working as it is mostly men who come to

There weren't a lot of jobs offered due to workplaces being shut down. While men went to find work women stayed and cared for the children and so when he does she must also find another job or work the same job as jobs did not give a lot of money. The book provides insight into the many people working on the farms as it explains ¨ Everyone in camp knows each other’s business¨ (113). It explains that a lot of people come to work to find a better life for themselves and their families. Women who weren't used to the working conditions got familiar with how everything worked and soon get used to working, but not all women were used to it and weren't familiar with the working conditions. Valley fever is a fever that is caused by dust going into the nostrils and the human body they will not know how to fight this fever as they are not used to the conditions... In the story Muñoz Ryan explains how “ ‘It a disease of the lungs that is caused by dust spores. Sometimes when people move to this area and aren’t used to the air here, the dust spores get into their lungs and cause an infection’ ” ( 155). Overall the quote provided by the story shows us how women weren't used to the area and the atmosphere of working on the farms. It shows the fever that many may have due to not being used to the