The Legend Of Maria Short Story

There once was a beautiful girl born to a poor family who had so much love for her, as she was the only daughter of eight. Unfortunately, they never had enough time with her, and her parents needed another son so he could work in the fields, not a daughter, who they would have to save up for a dowry. As she grew older her beauty did not fade, but alas, it grew stronger, yet she did not notice. At her 15th birthday her parents grew tired and their number one mission became to marry her off, as they just had a great harvest and could afford a small dowry. They made her walk through the local village in thin clothing every day so that the men would notice her, and make her curl her hair and spend time working on her looks so that her natural beauty could not shine through, only the

During the time I been taking English 105 we have talked about many essays. Many of the essays we read in this semester were interesting essays in the 50 essays book. Most of the essays were inspirational to students. Some of the essays were very helpful they help develop our writing skills and how to be more descriptive in our essays. For the student learning outcome the essays should be interesting for the student to feel involved when talking about the essays. Many of the essays in our book were relatable to many students, yet there was one essay that ,in my opinion, did not have to be in our syllabus. In the essay "The Myth of the Latin Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria" by Judith Ortiz. The essay I did not believe it had to be in our syllabus because it really did not have to do much with the student learning outcome was "The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson.

Stereotypes are what people generalize others to be just because their personal characteristics are different from one another. This has been an on-going conflict in our society because of the fact that it privileges certain people to have the more advantages than others when it comes to jobs, education, and who the people are. But the problem that society has when it comes to stereotyping is that they are not seeing the real dangers of what it has been doing too many of these people. Such dangers have led many to believe that based on skin color, race, gender, and other traits, people are potential threats, less privileged, and thought to be just different in general. In the essays “The Myth of a Latin Woman: I Just met a Girls Named Maria” by Judith Cofer and Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space” by Brent Staples, the reader is introduced to the real life experiences of stereotypes and how they impact many of these lives in different ways.

In “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria,” the incidents on the bus, in the hotel, and at the poetry involved prejudice and stereotypical misconceptions of Puerto Rican women. While Cofer was on a bus trip to Oxford University, a man “broke into an Irish tenor’s rendition of “Maria” from West Side Story” (Cofer 103). This implies that Latinas dealt with people who automatically assume that a Latina’s name is “Maria” or “Evita” based on a fictional movie. While at a hotel with a colleague, a middle-aged man called Cofer an “Evita” and he “began shout-sing a ditty to the tune of “La Bamba”---except the lyrics were about a girl named Maria” (Cofer 107). Then Cofer realized that “[she] was just an Evita or a Maria: merely a character in his cartoon-populated universe” (107). The men that sung stereotypical songs viewed Cofer as a sexual object and referred to her as an image displayed by the media.

Stereotypes are dangerous weapons in our society. “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” is a short essay in which the award winning poet and professor of English, Judith Ortiz Cofer, wishes to inform and persuade the audience that labels and stereotypes can be humiliating and hurtful. The author targets the general public, anyone that doesn’t understand that putting someone in a box because of a stereotype is wrong. Cofer starts out the essay by telling the reader a story with a drunk man who re-enacted “Maria” from the West Side Story, and how angry that made her feel. She continues by explaining how she grew up in the United States being a Puerto Rican girl trying to fit in, but always being labeled as an island girl. Cofer carries on by explaining why Latin people get dressed and act a certain way. Then she recalls some more stereotypical incidents.

The articles “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” written by Juthish Oriz Cofer and “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh are two essays covering the topic of race and gender. With a focus on privilege and race, one may assume that these two articles say the same thing, while in reality that is not true. As McIntosh and Cofer come from two different backgrounds and social standing, the authors offer two very unique views on the subject matter. Due to Cofer being a Puerto Rican woman and McIntosh being white woman, the two are opposites when it comes to white privilege and how it has effected them. This allows for them to give different views on the subject within the papers. Each articles differ in the audience, the purposes, and the appeals used within. On the other hand, both works are similar with the end goal and intended audience. As a member of the audiences targeted by both of these authors, I was able to connect to both of their writings due to the many different ways the two authors connected to their audiences.

Mariachi is a lot more than just a band playing; it's a tradition that has been in Mexico for almost two centuries and is enriched with a huge history and deep meaning to for the Mexican culture. Mariachi music started in the nineteen century as a way for the common people of Mexico to find a way to express their ideas and feelings in which their ideas later become lyrics and their feelings become music. Mariachi music as we know it today results from the confluence of several different influences. It originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in the town of Cocula, in the 19th century. It was a way in which people were able to say what they were feeling in a new and unique way. From the music and lyrics to the dress attire and

As human beings, we like to put labels on people around us to help us identify them. Most of these people around us are strangers and we do not know any personal detail about them. We tend to identify them based on their appearance, rather than who or how they are as people. We are often unaware of the impacts our labels have on these people. In the essay “ On being a cripple” by Nancy Mairs and “ The Myth of a Latin woman : I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the writers have successfully portrayed the feelings that arise in people’s mind based on the way they are identified. In both the essays, the writers tell us how they have been incorrectly labeled and judged by society based on their social, physical and racial appearance, how they are tired of it and how they have come to accept and make peace with it.

Bessie and James were very much in love, and very excited about the arrival of the first child. One night after the couple had gone to bed, a horrible sound awakened them from a deep sleep. A horse in the barn kicked over a lantern. The horrible noise coming from the burning barn was the sound of the livestock perishing in the fire. The barn and livestock were a total loss, but they could not dwell on this matter long; for the baby was soon to come. As the two worked to get the babies room ready, and the clothes made. Bessie’s mother gave them the rocking chair that was in her nursery. It was not long, sooner than the couple expected, James Jr, was born on June 11th

The essay “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” by Judith Ortiz Cofer is about deprivation that Latin women go through everyday due to stereotypes that society make up. Stereotypes play a big role in the way that individuals are identified by society. Cofer describes her personal experiences of being a Latin woman, and her struggles that she has to face because of the stereotypes. Cofer tells us of some incidences that happened throughout her life. Like going to London for a summer to Oxford University, where a man sees her on a bus, drops to his knees and sings his own version of “Maria” from West Side Story. Even though she was aggravated, she tried to be calm while everyone around her were amused by the young man’s song. She describes how growing up during 1960’s in New Jersey, she suffered from “cultural schizophrenia” which meant she was forced to keep on with her heritage. Being a Latin woman you’re raised strictly and they have high expectations. Mothers encouraged their daughters to act like mature women. Cofer explains another stereotype, such as the “hot tamale”, where woman are viewed as sexual objects. Woman are usually misinterpreted because of the way they are dressed. Some men treat Latin woman without respect. She talks about when she was at a hotel. A man approached her and began to sing the song of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” in the tune of “La Bamba”. She was offended by the man’s song. People view Latin’s as house maids,

Stereotypical views have been permeating the media since the inception of the broad box with antenna. Everyone and their mothers were subjected to some type of air play spewing nonfactual, propaganda type garbage. Some knew right from wrong and some were okay with embracing the hate. The research this paper is based on a large part entitled “In many cases how we see others is distorted by our wishes, needs, and experiences. When our perception is wrong, conflict is inevitable. Discuss the theme of mis-perception and the impact on people 's social and emotional wellbeing”. To look at this topic, we must first remember that the Holocaust was started by words. Someone saying something to sway the mind of others. Donald Trump was also elected that way.

My name is Maria Butler, a proud Patriot of the Revolutionary War. I am 28 years old. I live in North Carolina with my amazing husband. His is name is Rhett Butler and he is the wealthy landowner of Magnolia Plantation, our 400 acre tobacco plantation. My husband provides a very nice home that is well cared for by our slaves. Contrary to what some may some believe we are very good to our slaves who we treat as family members. Although my successful husband has a good education from a great southern college, I on the other hand am not a highly educated woman but i can read and write. I do have the skills common to every proper southern woman which allow me to care for my home, my husband and our children. Rhett and I have two children,

“To believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same” is one of many definitions for a stereotype. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary makes it seem like it’s nothing at a;l and something small and innocent when, in all honestly stereotypes are cruel and wrong. Using stereotypes in our daily lives should not be allowed because it causes people to think less of themselves and limit themselves from one 's full potential. Having these stereotypes in our minds really limits our thoughts and opinions about certain things or people. Both essayist Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Brent Staples have personally experienced stereotyping and people thinking wrongly of them. In Cofer’s essay “ The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” and Staples “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Spaces”, they talk about what they have been through with racial stereotyping and what affects it has them, personally. But even with those stereotypes in play they both prove that stereotypes do not determines someone 's future and people are able to prove stereotypes wrong.

Although I do not entirely relate to Mariatu or many of the tragic events that have occurred during her life time, one event during Mariatu’s life I do relate to is when she moved to Toronto. Firstly, I relate to Mariatu during this event in her life because both Mariatu and I moved from Africa to Canada. Now despite the fact that she moved to Toronto due to the war in her homeland and moved at a much older age than I did , I do still believe we do relate in this instance because we both had to leave our homelands that we were both very fond of so we could receive a much better and more fair life. Also, as it states in the book Mariatu had a hard time fitting into her new school. Although I did receive an education in Africa and Mariatu did

We have always heard of the stories where people meet their future wife or husband in the most unpredictable places. These success stories presumes us to believe that love at first sight actually exists and that they're will be somebody waiting for us at the traffic light down the street. Things like this can happen I don't doubt it, but for all the people like Gurov, a known womanizer who is married to a woman he does not love or Anna, a frail, innocent woman who is married to a man she does not love makes us believe that there is hope. The story begins in Yalta; a seaport in Ukraine Gurov meets Anna. He begins to understand that she is much different than the other woman he has been with; she is both frail and innocent. Afterwards,