Analysis Of The Achievement Of Desire By Richard Rodriguez
Universality of The Achievement of Desire
In The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez talks about his experiences from when he was a young boy until he becomes an adult who have realized his life goals. As a boy, Rodriguez describes himself as a “good student” and a “troubled son” (Rodriguez 565) at the same time. In his essay, Rodriguez tells his readers how education can alienate students from their parents, culture, class, as well as from their past. The essay also reflects the situation that many accomplished scholars and professionals experience—how education has inevitably changed their minds, relationships, and lives in general. The essay concludes in irony, wherein Rodriguez realizes that education, which is the very thing that distanced him from his past, was also the very thing that made him aware of how lonely he had become. In this paper, I demonstrate how Rodriguez’s story is universal by citing instances from my own life experiences.
Rodriguez’s separation can be described in the literal and metaphorical sense, and this is evident in the following passage:
Late afternoon: in the midst of preparing dinner, my mother would come up behind me while I was trying to read. Her head just over mine, her breath warmly …show more content…
Many people I know have developed their own opinion because of education. I myself have chosen my stand on various things because of my education. I am pro-abortion but anti-capital punishment; I believe that the LGBTQ community should be given the same rights that are granted to heterosexual beings; I believe that sexual harassment is more prevalent now than racism but does not believe that one is more or less immoral than the other. I believe that the genetic engineering of organisms should not be banned but rather, regulated. My education has shaped my opinion on these matters and it has also taught me to keep an open mind and respect people with opposing
In The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez talks about his experiences from when he was a young boy until he becomes an adult who have realized his life goals. As a boy, Rodriguez describes himself as a “good student” and a “troubled son” (Rodriguez 565) at the same time. In his essay, Rodriguez tells his readers how education can alienate students from their parents, culture, class, as well as from their past. The essay also reflects the situation that many accomplished scholars and professionals experience—how education has inevitably changed their minds, relationships, and lives in general. The essay concludes in irony, wherein Rodriguez realizes that education, which is the very thing that distanced him from his past, was also the very thing that made him aware of how lonely he had become. In this paper, I demonstrate how Rodriguez’s story is universal by citing instances from my own life experiences.
Rodriguez’s separation can be described in the literal and metaphorical sense, and this is evident in the following passage:
Late afternoon: in the midst of preparing dinner, my mother would come up behind me while I was trying to read. Her head just over mine, her breath warmly …show more content…
Many people I know have developed their own opinion because of education. I myself have chosen my stand on various things because of my education. I am pro-abortion but anti-capital punishment; I believe that the LGBTQ community should be given the same rights that are granted to heterosexual beings; I believe that sexual harassment is more prevalent now than racism but does not believe that one is more or less immoral than the other. I believe that the genetic engineering of organisms should not be banned but rather, regulated. My education has shaped my opinion on these matters and it has also taught me to keep an open mind and respect people with opposing