Only Daughter
Only Daughter
In the essay entitled “Only Daughter” by Sandra Cisneros, she wrote about her life growing up in a Mexican-American family of nine; to which she was the only daughter. Although her father did love her, he did not show it much at all. The effects on Cisneros’s life due to her father’s lack of attention while growing up were: Spending time alone, attending college, and becoming a professional writer.
The first important effect due to Cisneros’s father’s lack of attention was that she spent lots of time alone. For instance, her father always said he had seven sons, but in reality he had six sons and one daughter. She always wanted to just scream out, ‘“No! You have six sons and one daughter”’ (566). She also said, “I could feel my self being erased” (566). Although she wanted to say what she felt, she could not disrespect her father like that. Also, her brothers thought that it was below them to play with a girl in public. It bothered her very deeply then but now she says, “It allowed me time to think and think, to imagine, to read, and prepare my self” (566).
Another result of her father’s lack of attention was that she was allowed to attend college because her father thought she would find a husband. She said, “Being only a daughter for my father meant my destiny would lead me to becoming someone’s wife” (566). Now, to make this clear, her father didn’t anticipate her going to college to learn anything. All her father wanted was for her was to go there and find a good college educated man to take care of his daughter. After four long years of going to college she never found a man to take her as his wife. Her father was very disappointed to think that all that time and money was all wasted and the only thing she got was a worthless English degree. Yet he did not know that later down the road all of that education would soon pay off.
The final outcome due to her father’s lack of attention influenced her to become a professional
In the essay entitled “Only Daughter” by Sandra Cisneros, she wrote about her life growing up in a Mexican-American family of nine; to which she was the only daughter. Although her father did love her, he did not show it much at all. The effects on Cisneros’s life due to her father’s lack of attention while growing up were: Spending time alone, attending college, and becoming a professional writer.
The first important effect due to Cisneros’s father’s lack of attention was that she spent lots of time alone. For instance, her father always said he had seven sons, but in reality he had six sons and one daughter. She always wanted to just scream out, ‘“No! You have six sons and one daughter”’ (566). She also said, “I could feel my self being erased” (566). Although she wanted to say what she felt, she could not disrespect her father like that. Also, her brothers thought that it was below them to play with a girl in public. It bothered her very deeply then but now she says, “It allowed me time to think and think, to imagine, to read, and prepare my self” (566).
Another result of her father’s lack of attention was that she was allowed to attend college because her father thought she would find a husband. She said, “Being only a daughter for my father meant my destiny would lead me to becoming someone’s wife” (566). Now, to make this clear, her father didn’t anticipate her going to college to learn anything. All her father wanted was for her was to go there and find a good college educated man to take care of his daughter. After four long years of going to college she never found a man to take her as his wife. Her father was very disappointed to think that all that time and money was all wasted and the only thing she got was a worthless English degree. Yet he did not know that later down the road all of that education would soon pay off.
The final outcome due to her father’s lack of attention influenced her to become a professional
Cited: Cisneros, Sandra. “Only Daughter.” Evergreen: A Guide to Writing with Readings. 9th ed. Susan Fawcett. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. 564-567. Print. Only Daughter