I am assuming that the main character of this story is the author Judith Ortiz Cofer. As a child she would have to “walk through neighborhoods where not even the carcasses of rusted cars on blocks nor the death traps of discarded appliances were parted with.” These items lined the streets to her “pillared palace” or “temple,” The Paterson Public Library. This story revolves around the child’s adventure of traveling to and from the library. Her protagonist is a black girl named Lorraine. As she walks to the library she is deathly afraid of crossing the tracks of Lorraine and getting beat up. The library is a haven for the child. Books offer her all of the freedoms she does not experience in her material worlds. This story is about how as a child and an adult Cofer utilized knowledge as a form of exile from the harsh realities of her world. Essay

In this essay I am going to examine how Cofer uses concrete subjects such as the Puerto Rican child, the Library, the black girl Lorraine, and books to evoke feelings and emotions that help the reader convey a new sense of cultural and historical consciousness. Cofer artistically weaves a story through these main subjects. Through these main subjects the reader can explore the world through the eye’s of the oppressed. The Puerto Rican Child

The child in this story is described as “physically small, non-English-speaking, and always the new kid on the block.” When I visualize this child I see someone who is very small and shy but also a fighter. These descriptions are opposite of each other they can be compared to the thesis/antithesis theory because from these opposing descriptions emerges someone who fights without physical violence but quietly with knowledge. The child in this story knows that she cannot physically win the battle with Lorraine. But she can mentally empower herself with knowledge. The Library

Among all the ruins of her city stands the Library. Cofer uses a masterful artistic voice when describing the Library. She compares the library to a Greek temple; “ With two raring lions (standing at its entrance), taller than a grammar school girl, greeted those brave enough to seek answers there.” She speaks of how much marble was used on the building, “enough to keep several Michelangelos busily satisfied for a lifetime.” She describes how the walls are covered with, “immortal words of Greek philosophers.” By her descriptive use of words and tone of voice one can understand the majestic feelings Cofer bestows upon the library. Historically many people seeking freedom have come to the United States. But the child did not find her freedom within the boundaries of the U.S.; she found it in the books in the Paterson Public Library.

The Black Girl Lorraine

Lorraine is a symbol of the black struggle during this time period. Cofer uses Lorraine to illustrate the relationships between the blacks and the Puerto Ricans. The blacks were at constant battle to struggle for their territory and keep their jobs. “Each job given to a light-skinned Hispanic was one less job for a black man; every apartment leased to a Puerto Rican family was one less place available to the blacks.” She could not understand Lorraine’s “blind hatred” for her. This hatred came from coming from a culture that has historically been systematically beaten down. She relates to Lorraine by understanding how she is prejudged by color, “that puts her alone in a pigeonhole.” Lorraine takes to violence because she feels she has no other outlet in a world in which she feels the walls are closing in. She feels the need to pick on the child because in Lorraine’s world the child represents everything that has brought her family down. Lorraine can not see who is to blame in the bigger picture because she does not have the benefits of education. That education has been denied to her. Books

Books offered the child a way of survival. She was able to find friendships among the many characters of books. Fantasy gave her an outlet to her repressive world. It was in these stories she realized that there, “is a Cinderella for every culture.” Books represent her, “spiritual life.” She feels at home within the library because it offers her the answers she seeks and the knowledge she craves. She felt empowered by books.

The child’s journey to library is her path to knowledge. Her struggles with Lorraine are the battles she must fight in order to “stay in her place” in society or to be able to progress in society by becoming educated by books. This story foreshadows Cofers future life. She did not let her fear over come her quest for knowledge. Throughout her life she will have to overcome great obstacles to obtain her goals, but she takes them on and does not hide from her enemies. Her ultimate goals are too important. She has too many questions too be answered and those answers were found within the walls of the Paterson Public Library.