In the first or second week of each semester, I share Sandra Cisneros’s “Only Daughter,” with my composition classes.  My students often connect with Sandra’s background.  She beat the obstacles of racism, sexism, and poverty in her world to become both an influential writer and  activist.   

Sandra’s childhood experience of being “the only daughter” proved to be a great training ground for a writing career.  In fact, it was her feelings of isolation and abandonment from her fathers and brothers that pushed her towards reading and writing. When she grew older, her skill for transferring her plight to the page enabled her to enter UC Berkeley and later become a powerful voice in American literature.  Her  House on Mango Street, for example, reflects many of the same childhood frustrations she describes in her essay.

One story after another boasts the voice of a poor young girl struggling to make sense of her loneliness.  When she writes in “Only Daughter” that she values her mistreatment from being an only daughter, I believe her. She learned how to convert her pain and confusion into beautiful, meaningful stories. In my opinion, her anger is her juice.

I bring “Only Daughter” into the classroom to provide a nice change from what my students are used to in their
English courses.  I want to give them material they can relate to.   I mean diversity speaks, but you don’t have to be a Mexican or a woman to enjoy Sandra’s stories.   At the end this narrative when Sandra returns  home to her family home in Chicago, something special happens between father and daughter, and everyone recognizes  and responds to the dynamic.   Before the father dies, he is able to communicate his deep sense of pride for what the daughter has become.  We break it down in  matters of culture or tradition,  but it’s not black or white or brown.  It’s all about the struggle to be loved.  It’s solid gold.

Who needs writing prompts when you read something like that? 

Below I share sneak preview of first-time group actitivity on Padlet:

• To see individual student responses from each group, you can scroll down each column
• My group, we called ourselves "Las Chingonas."