Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Volar’ and Amy Tan’s A Pair of Tickets’ both use symbolism to show the emotions and lives of young girls from different cultural backgrounds. Both stories are about childhood, home, and family. They manage their lives despite being complicated. They both deal with cultural barriers that are related to their nationality. The stories contain a lot of powerful symbolism that helps to give meaning and wisdom to the main characters. Both stories use symbolism extensively to give a greater purpose to the main characters. It also helps them to see themselves as people with unique cultures living in America. “A Pair” is about Jing Mei’s first trip to China. She explores her Chinese heritage. Jing Mei’s story about self-discovery is set in China. The story’s setting explores culture and place to provide a greater understanding of Jing Mei’s impact and give insight into her life. Her Chinese relatives and the context help her understand what it means to be Chinese. It also helps her shift her perspective on her ancestry. Many events in her story are symbolic of her cultural journey and her personal characteristics. Volar is a tale about an immigrant family living in America. Her story of the American dream, however, is not as she imagined it. This girl, unlike the one in ‘A Pair of Tickets’, has trouble fitting in. Puerto Rican, she tries to change the world and be more like everyone else. She would rather flee from the reality of her life and pretend that she is Supergirl looking over her neighbor’s buildings. In her dreams, she felt empowered and had authority over the people around her. It is actually the reverse. It is the opposite. The theme of Amy Tan’s story, “A Pair of tickets”, was the idea of rejoining her family. She finally discovered her identity at the end. It’s obvious. It’s my family. It is part of our family. It can finally be let down after all these many years. The photos were their only connection to their mother at the beginning. The photographs embody symbolism. They turn into an extraordinary reckoning with family and show one of the most lasting bonds in life. Her mother wrote that her mother had given her money and valuables to care for her children in the first photo. If they are safe to travel, 9 Weicheng Lu and Wang Fuchi will give you a generous prize. The photograph also featured Wang Fuchi and Li Suyuan. ‘Together, our mother looks like us. The story ‘Volar’ is written by Judith Ortiz Cofer. It is a desire to flee and to find something more exciting and satisfying. Because she feels desperate to escape her unhappy life and have control over it, the girl dreams of becoming a superhero in her dreams. Her mother hopes that her daughter will fly away and return to Puerto Rico. This story exposes the contradiction between girlish fantasies and the basic truth. She tells of experiencing bodily transformations in dreams. She describes her dream in which her legs grow long and my arms become steely. And her hair magically turns a golden-colored color. He sat down and counted his dollars. …I blew some of my superiorreath into his fire place, scattering his money …’.. Works Cite
Tan, Amy “A pair of tickets”. The Norton Introduction to Literature, 12th ed. W. W. Norton & Company 2016, (186-202). Print.
Judith Cofer’s poem “Volar” speaks of the need to take risks and soar. The speaker encourages the reader to take chances and aim for the stars. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J. Mays. W. W. Norton & Company. 2016, (203-206). Print.
