Julia Alvarez is a New York born Afro-American. Shortly after her mother gave birth to her, her family packed their belongings and moved back to the Dominican Republic. At the age of 10, Alvarez immigrated back with her family (“Julia Alvarez” 1). It was this move that opened her up and forced her to experience a clash of cultures. This childhood shaped with a dual culture becomes evident in many of her most popular works. Alvarez is a well-known author and poet. One of her most popular poems is “Dusting”. “Dusting” is a parental poem whose focus is on the shaping influence that parents have over children (Alvarez 622). Parental poems may range from expressing positive sentiments of love and gratitude to focusing on negative emotions such
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As the poem states the daughter is practicing writing her name. Her striving nature of creating a name for herself is evident as she pretends to be an important figure. The literal meaning of the word dusting is to wipe the dust away most commonly used to refer to housework (Ng 1). The daughter dreams of a different life. She yearns to be remembered for something extraordinary. It is because of this that the girl aspires to live a different life. As the mom follows the girl, she wipes away her writing which symbolizes the mother wiping away the daughters dreams. However, from the mother’s point of view we see her urge to protect her daughter from the unknown. The daughter views her mother 's actions as a way of keeping her in, but in reality the mother is simply doing what she knows. All the mother knows is a life of work. In her case it is housework. Dusting, cleaning, and cooking is all she knows (Bethel 1).
Analysis of the theme, tone, and symbolism of “Dusting” help depict a strong resentment towards Alvarez’s mother. Her desire to be something greater took hold of her and directed her to search for a better future. Like the poem illustrates the daughter was not shaped by the outside world. She derived power from herself and was determined to create a name for
As the poem states the daughter is practicing writing her name. Her striving nature of creating a name for herself is evident as she pretends to be an important figure. The literal meaning of the word dusting is to wipe the dust away most commonly used to refer to housework (Ng 1). The daughter dreams of a different life. She yearns to be remembered for something extraordinary. It is because of this that the girl aspires to live a different life. As the mom follows the girl, she wipes away her writing which symbolizes the mother wiping away the daughters dreams. However, from the mother’s point of view we see her urge to protect her daughter from the unknown. The daughter views her mother 's actions as a way of keeping her in, but in reality the mother is simply doing what she knows. All the mother knows is a life of work. In her case it is housework. Dusting, cleaning, and cooking is all she knows (Bethel 1).
Analysis of the theme, tone, and symbolism of “Dusting” help depict a strong resentment towards Alvarez’s mother. Her desire to be something greater took hold of her and directed her to search for a better future. Like the poem illustrates the daughter was not shaped by the outside world. She derived power from herself and was determined to create a name for