Your Name essay

YourName

Readingresponse: A cup of water under my bed

Chapter1: &quotBeforeLove, Memory.&quot Inthe first chapter of “A cup of water under my bed”, Hernándezwrites of her early love and hate relationship with language. Shenarrates how becoming skilled at English verified to be both a sourceof pride for and disaffection from her family. There are two thingsin the story that culminate the dreams of her parents as well astheir rejection. First is becoming fluent in English and eventuallyearning a living with its words. She argues that “You betray yourparents if you don`t become like them, and you betray them if youdo.” She goes ahead to affirm that words are more powerful invarious ways. In this paper, a clear analysis is performed respondingto the reading of this chapter. Atthe beginning, Hernandez highlights the concept of faulty memory. Sheasserts that “There are mistakes in memory, places where emotionhas slanted people, sights, even cuerpos.” (Hernandez). Shenarrates issues to do with her teacher at the kindergarten and themanner in which she remembers the teacher in comparison with theteacher`s photograph. As far as the description is well illustrated,the author demonstrates her prowess in being a memoirist. She is ableto sculpt the memory and use it to her advantage. The essay is fullof events where the author has sculpted memories. This is clearlyindicated right from the scene of her first day in the kindergarten.She narrates these events clearly as if they just happened yesterday.In so doing, Hernandez develops the readers’ trust. From thebeginning of the book, the reader is able to go forward of the book,clearly know that the author makes deliberate choices. In this way,the author engages the reader establishing a feeling that there is asort of shared language for the essay. Thewritings of Hernandez as a journalist are more of the theme of thediscrepancies between her stories and that of her mother. In thisessay she complains that one betray the parents if he/she does notbecome like them and if they do, the parents are also betrayed. Thiswould easily confuse one but reading through the essay, one willeasily realize that the story is unconnected with hops from childhoodto adulthood as well as in-between. The author does not coordinatethis in an organized way. For any reader who does not understandSpanish, will be distracted many times since the author has made manyinsertions of Spanish words which I found to be of no use and verydistracting. The essay becomes enjoyable when the authortalks about her culture and family but gets awkward when talkingabout self. Daisy’s sexual preferences, which caused a lot ofissues with her parents appears to be due to the period and theculture. It is more loveable when she inputs evocative of the loopsof women that assemble in various Hispanic households. In a nutshell,the writing style is enjoyable. She describes both warm and nurturingtraits of various family members as well as those times of anger,frustration, or traditional ideologies destroyed by the intimacy uponwhich she had relied on as a child. &quotBefore Love, Memory&quotis an interesting memoir that I have ever read despite the few thingshighlighted here. It is an extremely perceptive and exciting memoir.It is more interesting the way Hernandez well describes the emotionsof mounting up and emergent separately from her people, even as theymade a great impact on her despite helping her in shaping herworldview.

Chapter5: &quotEvenIf I Kiss a Woman.” Inthe fifth chapter of the memoir, Hernandez gives an account of herlove life. Hernandez dated Julio in her teenage, who she eventuallymoved in with. Julio was a coworker at McDonalds and a Colombian. Hermother and aunts were surprised at this since they all hoped she willend up with an American. More barriers between Hernandez and her kinarose when she finally emerges as bisexual to her family. The shockand disgust at first slowly but steady gave away to a policy of beingignorant at home, which is the leading cause of the barriers. In theessay, she says that lack of language can bring a feeling of death,more so when it comes to sharing with the woman she first fell inlove with. With a lot of grace, Hernandez talks aboutsexuality in this chapter. Her skillful hand with language, emotion,and imagery forms an internal world that is equally dear and achinglygood-looking. She gives a narrative on how she learned sex whilestill a teenager. It is evident that together with her best friendthey spent their teenage summers reading novels by Judith Krantz andwatching porn videos from the collection of the friend`s father: &quotMyfriend and I spend our teenage summers reading… and watching pornvideos…&quot she writes. In this, the writer exposes what parentsshould expect from their teenage children. The fact that the pornvideos were from the collection of the friend`s father strikes thereader. It is through these videos that she learns that sex is good. The manner in which she falls in love with Julio, aColombian and the way she handles the relationship is fascinating.Daisy argues that her mother and the aunts did not want her to marrya Colombian. But she wonders why, since they all knew Colombian menvery well than the American men whom they opted for her. This bringsabout the rhetoric nature of writing. And indeed, this is whathappens in the real world. People will always want you to followtheir advice even though they pretty know very well that the advicethey are giving it is unclear to them. The style in which shenarrates this is fascinating that the reader develops the interest toknow more, to unveil what happened later. Hernandezdescription of bisexuality in this essay is so vivid that everyfirst-time reader would easily learn and comprehend it. She statesthat &quot…kissing women is like discovering a new limb.&quot Thekind of description is very open that it does not indicate any fearor shame. These issues are among the few topics that many people feartalking about, though they like reading or hearing. Throughreading this chapter, one is made to read more and more to get theclear picture which Hernandez has clearly illustrated. Withoutshame, uncertainty or concern, the author holds on bisexuality evenin the face of lesbian disbelief. Again, the conflict between her andthe family arises on the aspect of bisexuality. Though she greets hersexual status with delight, her family does not. It is very rare toget such people in the society since they fear intimidation and beingstigmatized. The courage of the author gives the reader interest inknowing more.