8-4-11

I remember reading House on Mango Street my freshman year and finding it incredibly effective. Although the characters described in Sandra Cisneros's novel come from different neighborhoods, families, and cultures than I do, I still found myself compelled and invested in the literature because I could relate to it despite my lack of certain cultural capital. Similarly, in college, I read Morrison's Beloved in my Black Women Writer's class and fell in love with her wisdom and writing despite having incredibly different experiences as a person.

What struck me about both texts was the poeticism in the writing; how the feelings of the novel bled through the typeface and onto my hands holding the book and stuck to me, even after I put them down. It does not matter that I am not Latina or Black. I am a woman, I come from communities, I've suffered loss, and I have grown up. These are the things that connected me to the texts. What does matter is that I recognized that these authors and characters were Latina and Black. It created a sense of global understanding for me. As a high schooler, it made me realize how, essentially, everyone has difficulty with their home communities. The differences in my difficulties from the protagonist provided me with an insight into how familial and community relationships can function (or not) outside of my own experience and understanding.