An Analysis of the Poem Dusting by Julia Alvarez

Sarah Winn 11/13/12 Literature Mrs. Wiggins Dusting Julia Alvarez In the poem Dusting written by Julia Alvarez, a young female child tries to leave imprints on the dusty objects in her house in which later are wiped onward by her sire. Each morning I wrote my name / on the dusty cabinet, thusly crossed / the dining table in script, scrawled / in capitals on the back of chairs, / practicing signatures equivalent scales (1-5) I believe that the author is trying to compare the young girls aspirations to her mothers.In life, the girl wishes to leave her imprint on the world. Her goals are larger than life itself, and they refuse to mark off. No matter how often her mother wiped away the smudged fingerprints, they would always reappear. In the poem, the girls shows us how she refused with every mark / to be like her, anonymous (17-18). This statement shows us how the girl feels about her mothers accomplishments.She believes that her mother achieved as much as anyone else her mother s achievements are almost transparent to her anonymous. She cant stand the thought of ending up like this, so day after day, she continues to leave her mark. As a child, your aspirations are wild. Many of us wish to accomplish more in our lives than our family members, especially almost of our parents. At some point we all wish to be recognized as something bigger something that no one has witnessed before.We have a need for appreciation. incessantly since I was young, Ive wanted to accomplish great things. Ive hit setbacks in school and at home, but Ive never let them break me. Even when I was little, whenever I received a good grade on an assignment or test, I would rush home to call my mum and dad to tell them. Seeing that look in their eyes that says Im so proud to call you mine. Thats what gives a child the impart to succeed. The will to never let those small fingerprints across the table disappear.