Sunday, September 13, 2009

Woman in Front of the Sun

Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer by Judith Ortiz Cofer is the nonfiction book I picked up off of my bedroom floor this weekend to read. I figure that I should try to keep my number of nonfiction books as close to my number of fiction books as I can. My mother heard the author speak last year, so I figured I'd get to reading it soon enough, plus it's short enough that it won't take away much time from Harry Potter.

Ortiz grew up in the bario. She was a Roman-Catholic and attended a Catholic School. "What is tradition?" her teacher asks.

"Tradition is something that's always been done," Ortiz responded. Ortiz has difficulties understanding her families traditions along with those of the church. Why must married women wear black flowers and unmarried wear white? Why do the boys get to go out and play while the girls stay home? Ortiz stands up against things in her community that she doesn't think are right. Though sometimes she's looked down upon by her family or church members her teacher is always there edging her on.

Tradition in my "community" is totally different from that of Ortiz. I'm not Catholic, nor am I hispanic. I get to go and play outside with the boys. And I don't wear black or white flowers to church, I wear none at all, sometimes I even wear jeans. My dad feels strongly about traditions though. Some times I feel as though his traditions are archaic, but I see the reasoning behind them. Though, at times I wish that our family kept certain traditions in place. For example, family meals. Eating supper with my family is one of my most favorite parts of my day because it gives me a chance to catch up with them. Sometimes we'll go out for dinner, which my sister hates, so she doesn't come and we bring her something back, and I wish that my parents would make her come so that the table is full....

My favorite thing about tradition is the song in Fiddler on the Roof.

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