"The things they carried"/"Volar"

Volar by: Judith Ortiz Cofer

1. In my opinion, the definition of vivid is a thorough description of anything that creates a realistic image of that being described. An example of a vivid description in the story "Volar" by Judith Ortiz Cofer is when the author writes, "Once on the roof, my parents safely asleep in their beds. I would get on tip-toe, arms outstretched in the position for flight and jump out my fifty-story-high window into the black lake of the sky". I think this paragraph is vivid because it evokes a detailed, life-like image to the reader. This description clearly expresses what the author is trying to portray to the audience. This is based on the graphic usage of the author's dictation which helps the reader imagine the vivid scene take place.

2. In "Volar", the author changes in an important way. The author, being the girl in the story as well as the narrator, becomes aware of reality and how life really is. Realizing that her mom not only dreams like she does but also dreams about the same thing she does, makes the author realize she will be dreaing her whole life, though she may never have her dreams come true. To me, dreams can be desribed as what people want or wish to have. In this story the author learns to understand that just like her mother she will be dreaming and wishing to fly forever but reality is that no one can fly and not all dreams can be a reality. Not to mention, the realization that she is like her mom in many ways and to me is makes her understand the reality of her future. The author is trying to say that he meaning of this experience is that the author is growing up. Opening her eyes to the fact that her entire life will be full of things she wants or wishes, dreams, for but you must be mature enough to except and be happy with what you have.

3. In "The things They Carried", there are many objects that stand out to me. However, I specifically noticed when the author wrote on how they carried their memories. Particularly, " They shared the weight of memory." from this experience which they all are sharing. This stood out to me because this is something that the soldiers can not choose to discard if they desire to, unlike most of the other items that some soldiers carried. The memories will be with them forever, even after the war is over. The things that they all see and go through together, they will each carry with them until the end of their time. One could say this is a burden but no matter, this will be an item that they have with them always and not by choice. This reality that is in front of their face keeps them aware, now and most likely in the future, that life is precious. It could be them laying down on the ground next, just like their buddies. It keeps them in reality, being that death is simple when in war and to die is easy.