Peter Leuthold

Dr. Ellis

Reading Analysis

11/7/07

Reading Analysis

In the story “B. Traven Is Alive and Well In Cuernavaca”, the article Serving Up Hope, and the poem “End of April”, the themes of inspiration, hope, and loneliness are portrayed.

“B. Traven Is Alive and Well In Cuernavaca”, tells the story about the author, Rudolfo A. Anaya, who travels to Cuernavaca, Mexico in order to write this very fiction story. He feels lost upon arriving there until he encounters Justino, the “jardinero” who took care of his friend’s garden. Justino gives the narrator in the story inspiration and motivation to write a great story about “el Pozo de Mendoza.” The fortune left there was what Justino was particularly interested in; however, the narrator simply follows him in order to get a sense of the culture in a different country in order to present an interesting piece of writing. When the narrator decides not to go to “el Pozo de Mendoza”, he attends a convention for writers, artists, and critics in order to interact and learn from their experiences in an attempt to come up with a good story. The narrator meets an old man and learns that the changing cultures in Mexico are a story alone. The old man states, “A writer’s job is to find and follow people like Justino. They’re the source of life.” Therefore, the inspiration found in the culture of Mexico and the story told by Justino, gives the narrator determination in order to write an interesting, and overflowing story about his experience in Cuernavaca.

In the article Serving Up Hope, Galen, and Bridget Sampson overcome their drug and crime addiction with much hope to change their lives around for the better. Galen Sampson, a food fanatic, decides to open a Deli, in order to help others learn how to cook and provide them with food. Not only do the Sampson’s overcome their serious problems in life, but use their Jesuit values in order to give back to the community, with the hope of becoming role models for others to follow. Galen Sampson says, “You need to make a difference in your Community.” This shows how much the Sampson’s care about others. It also shows why they want to stay active in their community through serving others, demonstrating Jesuit values whether they realize it or not!

Phillis Levin’s “End of April”, uses lots of imagery to show the loneliness in the speaker of the poem. I feel as if the speaker is lonely and has lost someone in their life. When the author says, “I found a robin’s egg, broken, but not shattered”, Levin is using the robin’s broken egg as an image of being alone, empty, and lost inside. When the author states, “I had been thinking of you”, it tells the reader that the speaker is depressed and sad because of their loneliness. “What had been there is gone now and lives in my heart” claims that the speaker is heartbroken and can’t stop thinking about the person who is not a part of their life anymore.

Thus, “B. Traven Is Alive and Well In Cuernavaca”, the article Serving Up Hope, and the poem “End of April”, all demonstrate the qualities of hope, inspiration, and loneliness as a everyday part of life. Serving Up Hope and “B. Traven Is Alive and Well In Cuernavaca”, both portray the importance of how hard work pays off while also contributing to others by using Jesuit Values. “End of April” shows the loneliness inside of the speaker of the poem, demonstrating that he or she were happier before losing a special someone.