Symbolism In Why I Hate Raisins By Natalie Diaz

True Love Why is it that we as human beings complain so much? Many of us see less fortunate people and think we should be more thankful, but it never seems to last because we go back to complaining about something in our life going wrong. We never seem to know what we truly have until it’s gone. The poem “Why I Hate Raisins” by Natalie Diaz talks just about that, when you read the title you probably think It’s just a poem of someone saying they hate raisins because their nasty. The poem is an adult thinking back on a childhood memory of wanting something her mother couldn’t provide for her and being upset she didn’t get to get what the white children got, and eventually regretted complaining when her mother starved for her to eat the raisins. The underlying message within this poem is the speaker’s want turning into anger and leading into guilt, but she also realizes the symbolism of the raisins are not just raisins but the purpose and love behind her mother created behind the black and white cardboard boxes. Initially Diaz incorporates an interlude that the poem really emphasizes on love being …show more content…
The speaker expresses her anger by saying, “At least the white kids get a sandwich./At least the white kids don’t get the shits.” this line shows that she does not appreciate the fact that her mother does what she can, and the mother being frustrated and “That’s when she slapped me.” since she can’t do anything about it but still remains loving although she is not appreciated in the moment. In the end of the poem the speaker even addresses what she was angry about but not anymore by saying, “But not for the crooked commodity lines we stood in to get them.” The speaker is implying how their lives are not aligned with the white lifestyle, which is what caused the speaker to become so angry in the first