Bibliography
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2000. ESPERANZA RISING. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 043912042X
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2007. ESPERANZA RISING. Read by Trini Alvarado. New York: Listening Library. ISBN 073933896X
Summary
On the eve of Esperanza’s thirteenth birthday, her life would change forever. Esperanza lived with her parents Romano and Sixto Ortega and her grandmother Abuelito on El Rancho de las Rosas in Aguscalientes, Mexico. She had fancy dresses, beautiful dolls, and a house servant. Esperanza’s life was wonderful until her father was murdered by bandits. After their house was mysteriously caught on fire, Esperanza and her mother secretly fled to California to escape her uncle’s wedding proposal to her mother.
Esperanza and her mother must learn how to do chores and work in the fields to earn enough money to live on. While Esperanza’s mama tries to be happy, Esperanza struggles with her new way of life. But when her mama falls ill from Valley Fever and is placed in a hospital, Esperanza must find the strength from within to make enough money to pay for her mother’s doctor bills. Eventually, Esperanza begins to make friends and has compassion for other migrant workers.
Critical Analysis
Esperanza Rising is set in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. The themes of migrant workers, immigrants, discrimination, and family transcend throughout the story. Many immigrants came to America to find work and be more than just servants. These immigrants worked long hours with little pay. Many of them did not agree with the pay and began to strike. Others had to compete for the small wages they were making. During the Depression, many immigrants were deported back to their homelands and many traveled from camp to camp to find jobs. Segregation was still common during the 1930’s. Miguel explains this to Esperanza. “Americans see us as one big, brown group who are good for only manual labor. At this market, no one stares at us or treats us like outsiders or calls us ‘dirty greasers.’”
Esperanza’s life completely changed throughout the story. Once a wealthy daughter who could have anything she wanted, she is now wearing clothes from the poor box. She encounters several people on her way to California. On the train, she meets a dirty little girl who wants to touch her porcelain doll and a poor widower who was left to raise eight children. She cannot believe that she must ride in the same part of the train with these poor people. Upon arrival at the camp, Esperanza must do her part to help make money. When Esperanza is laughed at for trying to sweep the platform, Esperanza decides that she must learn how to work. After her mother becomes ill, Esperanza begins to work so that she can pay for the doctor bills and medicine. Instead of believing that she is better than all of the others in the campesinos or camp, Esperanza begins to see them for who they are. She sees that they are just trying to make enough money to feed their families and she sees the racial discrimination that surrounds them. In the end, Esperanza understands that to be wealthy does not mean having money, but instead a family to love.
Esperanza Rising is filled with cultural markers. Each chapter is titled in both Spanish and English with the name of a fruit that is being harvested. Fruit was used quite often in the story. Esperanza describes the papaya that her father ordered for her birthday to make Papaya, coconut, and lime salad. She describes the pungent smell after the box had been left still sitting on the patio for many days. “Their overripe sweetness now pervaded the air with each breath of wind.” Other authentic foods were described throughout the story: café and chorizo, tortillas, burritos, Flan de almendra- Almond Flan, and Agua de Jamaica-Hibiscus flower water. Many Spanish words and phrases were intertwined seamlessly throughout the story as well. Miguel would call Esperanza mi reina-my queen when he wanted to tease her, and Esperanza’s mother sometimes referred to Esperanza as mija which means daughter.
Esperanza describes her parents in the beginning. “Mama, tall and elegant, her hair in the usual braided wreath that crowned her head, and Papa, barely taller than Mama, his graying mustache twisted up at the sides.” Once at the campesino, Esperanza describes Mama’s hair, “Mama’s hair ran down her back in a single long braid, almost touching her waist. Mama looked shorter and, somehow, not herself.” Esperanza also describes Silvia, Isabel’s best friend. “A little girl, wearing a man’s undershirt as a dress,” and “Esperanza looked down at Silvia’s dirty hands.”
An author’s note was written in the back of the book. Pam Munoz Ryan based the story of Esperanza on her family’s personal experiences. This story would be a wonderful read aloud. The themes of immigration, Great Depression, discrimination, and family can be discussed. Listening to the story on audio CDs was very helpful. It was enjoyable to hear proper pronunciation of the Spanish words read by Trini Alvarado.
Reviews
Publishers Weekly review: “Told in a lyrical, fairy tale - like style, Ryan's (riding Freedom) robust novel set in 1930 captures a Mexican girl's fall from riches, her immigration to California and her growing awareness of class and ethnic tensions.”
School Library Journal review: “Set against the multiethnic, labor-organizing era of the Depression, the story of Esperanza remaking herself is satisfyingly complete, including dire illness and a difficult romance. Except for the evil uncles, all of the characters are rounded, their motives genuine, with class issues honestly portrayed. Easy to booktalk, useful in classroom discussions, and accessible as pleasure reading, this well-written novel belongs in all collections.”
Booklist review: “Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.”
Awards
2002-Pura Belpre Award Winner
2001-ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2000-Smithsonian Notable Books for Children
2000-Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Connections
Other books written by Pam Munoz Ryan include:
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2005. BECOMING NAOMI LEON. ISBN 0439269970
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2005. MICE AND BEANS. ISBN 0439701368
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 1999. RIDING FREEDOM. ISBN 0439087961
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