CHARACTERS
The narrator of Junot Díaz’s “Fiesta, 1980.”
Yunior
This theme links Anzaldúa’s essay and Blanco’s poem “My Father in English.”
Language and identity
"The Moths":What do the moths in the title symbolize in the story?
They are connected to transformation, healing, and the narrator’s experience with her grandmother.
"How to Tame a Wild Tongue”: What language does Anzaldúa defend throughout her essay?
Chicano Spanish and other forms of Spanish that reflect her cultural identity.
Yunior spills his family’s secrets in “Fiesta, 1980,” and we only see the party through his eyes. What is this narrative choice called, and what does it hide from us?
First-person narration. We get a limited view: he often sees more than he understands.
In “The Moths,” the narrator cares for this dying relative.
Abuelita (her grandmother)
“The Moths” explores caregiving, family bonds, and this life event.
Death and loss (also coming of age)
“Fiesta, 1980”: What does the Volkswagen represent in Yunior’s relationship with his father?
It represents the tension and fear Yunior experiences around his father, especially during car rides.
Switching between English and Spanish within a conversation or sentence.
Code-switching
“The Moths” and “The Witch’s Husband”: How do the grandmothers in both stories influence the younger women who narrate their experiences?
In “The Moths,” the grandmother offers the narrator acceptance and comfort. In “The Witch’s Husband,” Abuela’s story helps the granddaughter discover a more complex understanding of her grandmother’s life and choices.
In “Fiesta, 1980,” what happens to Yunior when he rides in his father’s Volkswagen?
He gets carsick and vomits, a recurring problem that creates tension between him and his father.
“Fiesta, 1980” explores family secrets and these themes linked to Papi’s behavior (name 3)
Masculinity / patriarchy and infidelity
In “The Moths,” the narrator’s large hands can be read as a symbol of this.
Being different or not fitting expectations, and also strength and care
“The Witch’s Husband”: Why is it significant that Abuela tells the story of the witch’s husband in Spanish, using expressions such as “Colorín, colorado”?
These expressions connect her storytelling to her Puerto Rican cultural traditions and her role as a storyteller.
Everything else on our list is prose. This one hits you in verse and is all about a father living inside a new language. Name it.
“My Father in English” by Richard Blanco
In “My Father in English,” what does the father struggle with when speaking English?
He struggles to express himself in English, which makes everyday communication difficult.
"The Moths": How does the narrator’s relationship with her grandmother differ from her relationship with the rest of her family?
Her grandmother accepts and cares for her, while the narrator often feels misunderstood or rejected by her family.
Anzaldúa begins her essay with a scene at the dentist. What does this image suggest about language?
Language and the body are controlled; the “taming” of the tongue as forced silencing.
“Fiesta, 1980”: Why does Yunior sometimes hide or withhold information when narrating his family’s experiences?
His narration reflects the tension and fear surrounding his father, as well as the difficulty of openly discussing what happens within the family.
“The Witch’s Husband”: Why does Cofer place Abuela’s story about the witch’s husband within the larger story about her own marriage?
The embedded tale allows Abuela to reveal her own desire for freedom indirectly. The story helps her granddaughter understand that Abuela’s life and marriage were more complicated than she had assumed.
What does Anzaldúa say happened to her when she spoke Spanish at school?
She was reprimanded for speaking Spanish, and one teacher hit her knuckles with a ruler.
How do two of the readings show the costs of assimilation or immigration?
Open answer...
“The Witch’s Husband”: What does the husband’s discovery that his wife is a witch symbolize in relation to Abuela’s own story?
It reflects the hidden side of Abuela’s life and her desire for freedom from the demands of marriage and motherhood.
“How to Tame a Wild Tongue”: Why does Anzaldúa reject the idea that she must choose between English and Spanish?
Because her identity is shaped by multiple languages and cultures, and rejecting one would mean denying part of who she is.
Choose one reading and change one major element: the narrator, the ending, or the language. What would change about the reader’s understanding of the story? What theme, conflict, or meaning might be lost or transformed? Support your interpretation with specific evidence from the text.
Open answer.