Essay about Family

Submitted By jeremyx3260
Words: 544
Pages: 3

Jeremy Rodriguez
Professor K. Riccardi
WRT-101-068
29 October 2013

Paper 2 Evaluation of Cofer’s Volar

In “Volar”, Cofer tries to make the reader understand the different aspects of the American Dream by showing the family is longing for change, fantasy, and realistic life. For some immigrants the American Dream is not what it seems. This experience for them is bittersweet. They are faced with the reality that their dream is not turning out like they originally thought. Each character in the story has their own fantasy about how they want life to be. The daughter understands the problems that her family is going through as immigrants; therefore she would rather dream about being free and having the ability to do and be whatever she wants. She also asserts her power over people such as the landlord whom “her parents feared” In her dream she takes flight and manages to play a trick on her landlord. She blows his money all over the place, causing the landlord to become angry. The daughter understands the family’s situation and appreciates her princess furniture. Her parents got her that so it may seem like everything is okay and so she could feel happy. The father has a more realistic view on the situation. He thinks that his main purpose must be to provide for his family. For example when his wife says “How about a vacation to Puerto Rico this year?” (70) He answered only by saying “do you know how much it would cost for all of us to fly there? “(70) He wants to make his family happy but the only way to do that is to keep on working hard, there is neither time nor money for a vacation. Moving on to the mother, her dream of flight is more realistic in regards to wanting to escape “the view of a dismal alley that was littered with refuse thrown from windows”, (68) When the father tells her that it is not possible, she sparks a cigarette and has to see this view. This harsh view that only inspires her to want to fly away. Each time she tries to talk