Symbolism In Under The Feet Of Jesus

Under the Feet of Jesus Timed Write

In the passage from Helena Maria Viramontes’ novel, Under the Feet of Jesus, Viramontes utilizes vivid symbolism, impactful tone, and purposeful syntax to portray the main character, Estrella’s, initial inability to understanding words and tools, to then finally grasping these new skills due to a change of external influences.

Estrella is a migrant child who starts out feeling very deterred from new things, the overwhelming uncertainty frustrates her about her inability to grasp new skills. She encounters a red toolbox which is compared to the letters she learns at school. Such symbolism assists in the advancement of understanding Estrella’s character and how she approaches the world. She sees the tools

This conflict of backgrounds and lack of empathy, creates a blockage in Estrella’s path to learning. Estrella’s lack of self-confidence only plummets further when “some of the teachers were more concerned about the dirt under her fingernails” (3). The racist undertones that come from the teacher’s prejudiced view towards Estrella blocks the learning that Estrella should be doing. The school system should adjust to her lack of English and teach her about the new letters she has never seen before, but instead, she experiences her teachers “scrub(bing) her fingernails with a toothbrush until they were so sore” (3). Feeling ostracized, Estrella feels resentment towards her teacher. She describes her teacher Mrs. Horn to have “the face of a crumpled Kleenex and a nose like a hook” (4), which reflects the distaste she feels towards this supposed “mentor” of hers. Estrella’s dreadful tone reveals how unwelcoming the school environment is for her. These poor conditions do not give the support and resources that are necessary for Estrella’s learning. Consequently, Estrella’s self-confidence drifts away as Mrs.

Understanding her background of being an immigrant, Perfecto is fit to be a guiding mentor. Perfecto teaches Estrella what each tool from the toolbox was and what each of their functions were. The sentences in the passage progressively run on into longer sentences, with a speedier flow. This syntax shift provides a clear difference to how natural and insightful Perfecto’s teaching is to Estrella, as opposed to Mrs. Horn’s. The fast paced sentences additionally illustrate the excitement and confidence that Estrella starts to exude. Perfecto’s impact on Estrella tears down the illusion that she was incapable of learning and that she is a “dirty” child who is unable to fit in. He teaches her a wise lesson by reassuring Estrella that if something doesn’t work “because [her] manitas (little hands) aren’t strong yet, fasten the vise pliers” (6). This piece of advice changes Estrella’s mindset of learning, because it reveals that she should not blame herself for failure, but rather, she can find ways to adjust her environment and conditions to aid her learning. After reaching this epiphany, Estrella successfully “began to read” (7). The toolbox, letters, and reading skills have all tied back together to fulfill Estrella’s potential. External factors inevitably contribute to the processes of learning, however, a student’s task is to learn. Despite their