Jimmy Santiago Baca Analysis

The Radical Transformation of Jimmy Santiago Baca Through Poetry What a person does in the hard times and struggles is what defines a person’s character. It is easy to stay down when the world is constantly trying to keep you there, but the strong people in this world are the ones who pick themselves up from the ground and transform their lives. A perfect example of someone who exemplifies radical and powerful transformation is Jimmy Santiago Baca. In his memoir A Place to Stand, Baca explains how his experience in prison changed the person that he was when he entered and he was in fact made new like he was a child again. He states, “I was that child, free to begin life over...I was truly free at last” (Baca 264). This transformation is very …show more content…
Without writing/poetry, Baca could be in a horrible state in life today, or possibly in the grave. Baca was headed down a harsh path until he had this transformation enter his life. Writing is what motivated Baca to wake up in the morning and to keep on living, while prior to that he just wanted to die. Writing became Baca’s entire life and he thought of poetry as a map guiding his way in life, or “...like a pair of thick socks the cold cannot bite through” (“I am offering”). He explains that he does not have much to give, but this little bit of love he can bestow through writing is abundant and powerful enough. This love is not only geared to help his personal struggles, but also to comfort the audience themselves. This simple idea of love is possible for anyone to obtain and be transformed by …show more content…
Jimmy states, “...they take my heart and rip it open, I live without heart” (Who understands). The world can be draining and out to get you, but there is always hope and transformation is always possible no matter the circumstances. Baca is a perfect example of this. He was a child who grew up in a very broken home and he just followed the only thing he knew and joined this vicious cycle. He never felt loved, and always felt like a victim. He then became a gangster, a drug dealer, and criminal...but that was not the end for him. A person is never too far gone from mistakes or brokenness to be transformed into a better version of him or herself, and one can use the troubles of the past to help them in the future. Infact, Baca’s poem did not end on such a heavy note about the gruesomeness of prison but instead explains that goodness can come out of suffering. He finishes off by saying, ”who understands me when I say I have found other freedoms” (Who Understands). This concept of finding hope in the darkness is possible, but it is not easy and it is rare to find someone who understands it, but Baca himself has figured it