Subjects:
Esmeralda Santiago i an american citizen with puerto rican origins who writes the novel called "Almost a Woman". Her book recalls her journey towards womanhood and describes the details of growing up Puerto Rican in the 1960's in America. Esmeralda Santiago wrote "Almost a Woman" at age fifty eight, an age at which she clearly knew how to speak and write English. Being an american citizen by now and writing a book that was going to be published for the american public, Esmeralda decides to write her novel in English. Although her novel is written in English, Esmeralda Santiago chooses to insert small sections written in Spanish. Sections that will end up relating only to her Spanish readers. This is one of the ways the writer related to her roots and "people".
One example in which Esmeralda Santiago makes use of her native language are her titles of her different chapters in her book. Most of the titles are written in her native language, Spanish. One of the reasons that made her chose to write her titles in Spanish may be the desire to relate to her hispanic readers. It is a way to tell them that this is a novel about them and for them, taking in consideratio
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Another example that describes the importance of using Spanish text to relate to the hispanic public is when Negi bursts into tears during a theater rehearsal at her school.
Esmeralda Santiago notes as well "Any word that's in Spanish in my English text is not there by accident, or because I couldn't figure out how to translate it, but rather because it has resonance in Spanish that it doesn't have in English". Her Spanish titles give the feeling that this book is meant to describe the life of a young Puerto Rican girl told by a Puerto Rican. The fact that Esmeralda's first words of sorrow where in Spanish denotes the fact that in time of suffering one turns back to his origins and looks for warmth. The poem reminds the hispanic people about the hard times that they encountered before speaking fluently English and the feeling of freedom when they would have a chance to speak their own language. All the sections of Spanish text in her novel are there to reinforce the idea that the novel is written about and for the hispanic audience. Although the novel is written in English, Esmeralda Santiago reinforces the fact that her book is written by a hispanic heart and for the hispanic people. All these scenes describe the idea of need for familiarity and how Negi and maybe many others look for that idea in times of stress. That little section which is addressed entirely to the hispanic audience is translated in English as well in order to describe what she is going through. The English text is there to invite the American public to take a look into the hard journey of maybe any immigrant into their society. Again, the idea that the book is written for the hispanic public but with a welcome invitation to the american public is enforced. As she feels overwhelmed by the effort of trying to act as Cleopatra, Esmeralda Santiago bursts into tears and runs behind the stage. The american public is invited by the English text to join her journey of integration in their culture but softly denotes it is not specifically addressed to them. Her language gave her the familiarity found at home as she looked for comfort in a time of stress.
A different example of why the author chooses to write her thoughts in her native language rather then the one which is used in her "new world" is the scene in which "Negi" tells her poem to her school principal.
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