In Richard Blanco’s memoir “The Prince of Los Cocuyos”, he deliberately touches on many ideas and possible themes he is wanting to give to the reader . He manipulates the use of language in order to display the specific message that culture gives a person or place purpose. Blanco’s use of rhetoric questions in the memoir plays a key role to developing the theme of culture. Throughout the novel, Richard has strongly struggled with who he is due to, in his eyes, his lack of a direct origin. Culture strongly defines and brings people together, and Richard being without a culture is left feeling lost, which greatly affects his placement within his family. In the memoir, questions pertaining to the idea of origin are repeated, similar to…show more content… Yetta says, “‘Harry and I knew all the stars back then…’” (Blanco 126). As the section goes on, Yetta says again, “‘It was even more beautiful than Miami Beach back then’” (Blanco 127). Repeating the key phrase “back then” places emphasis on the past. The past has such an important role for advancing Blanco’s point because it reveals how someone or something can find their purpose through holding onto memories of their past. Throughout this section, the past has been displayed as a glamourous and beautiful part of not only Yetta’s life, but was also compared to Richard’s parents life as well. The way Yetta describes the past makes it seem so much better than the current state. The Copa is currently run down, old, and no longer beautiful. Richard sees this, but Yetta has been distracted from the current conditions by the old view she still holds onto, making her culture transform something so shabby into something so beautiful, and the memories associated with the Copa are what give it Yetta’s admiration and the beauty she describes. This advances Blanco’s point by giving an example of Yetta’s past and culture providing the Copa with purpose and beauty to her
