Assignment task:
"Salvador Late or Early" by Sandra Cisneros
Introduction:
"In her brief yet powerful vignette "Salvador Late or Early," Sandra Cisneros crafts a portrait of a young boy burdened with adult responsibilities and overlooked by the world around him. Through vivid imagery of Salvador's physical appearance, his morning routine, and his gradual disappearance into the schoolyard crowd, Cisneros emphasizes the invisibility of marginalized children whose labor and suffering often go unnoticed."
Directions: Follow the steps provided below:
Read the introductory paragraph provided above.
Read the "incomplete" short story below. The story is intact, with the exception of its original imagery (highlighted in yellow, replaced with guiding questions).
Use the questions in the brackets to create your own examples of imagery, examples that will BEST serve your purpose in revealing Salvador's character, his environment, and the larger themes Cisneros suggests about invisibility, hardship, and resilience.
Simply delete the questions and add your own examples.
Consult the following handout to help you develop your imagery.
In the final row of the table, discuss how the imagery you've created helps to establish the purpose of the piece, as was expressed in the introduction. Explain the function of your imagery and its contribution to the poem's larger meaning and its depiction of Salvador, his character, and the larger theme(s) of the text.
Story
Salvador with eyes [what color could suggest smallness, fragility, or something overlooked?]-------->[the color of caterpillar], Salvador of the [describe hair and teeth in a way that makes him appear imperfect or forgotten]--------->[crooked hair and crooked teeth, Salvador whose name the teacher cannot remember, is a boy who is no one's friend, runs along somewhere in that vague direction where homes are [what kind of color or atmosphere could suggest poverty or sadness?], lives behind [describe a doorway that seems rough, incomplete, or temporary], shakes the sleepy brothers awake, ties their shoes, combs their hair with water, feeds them milk and corn flakes from a [what type of container could suggest scarcity or improvisation?] in the [what kind of lighting or setting could emphasize hardship?] of the morning.
Salvador, late or early, sooner or later arrives with the string of younger brothers ready. Helps his mama, who is busy with the business of the baby. Tugs the arms of Cecilio, Arturito, makes them hurry, because today, like yesterday, Arturito has dropped the cigar box of crayons, has let go [how might you describe crayons spilling across the ground in a vivid way?] that tumble and spill over and beyond [where might they scatter that emphasizes danger or mess?] until the crossing-guard lady holds back the blur of traffic for Salvador to collect them again.
Salvador inside that [what kind of shirt would suggest wear or neglect?], inside the throat that must clear itself and apologize each time that it speaks, inside the forty-pound body of boy with its [use a metaphor to describe scars as a "map" or "record"], its [use a metaphor to show suffering and history of pain], limbs [simile: compare his thin limbs to something fragile or stuffed], in what part of the eyes, in what part of the heart, in that cage of the chest where [something inside his chest could be personified as fighting or struggling], in what way does this suggest Salvador's hidden resilience? Inside that body too small to contain [imagine joy as something physical-what overflowing object could symbolize happiness?], [imagine grief as a single instrument or object], is a boy like any other disappearing out the door, beside the schoolyard gate, where he has told his brothers they must wait. Collects Cecilio and Arturito, scuttles off dodging the [how might you describe the chaos of children's clothing, movement, or color?], the elbows and wrists criss-crossing, the several shoes running. Grows smaller and smaller to the eye, dissolves into [what kind of horizon could represent hope or brightness?], [what image could show Salvador fading or vanishing, like an object carried by wind?] before disappearing like [compare him to something fragile, fleeting, or childlike].
Analysis
Discuss how the imagery you've created helps to establish the purpose of the piece. Need Assignment Help?
*Your analysis should consist of no less than 100 words.