Novel Critique: Esperanza Rising

An enjoyable novel should not bore the reader to death, but should keep the

reader excited, and wanting more. Pam Munoz Ryan does exactly that in writing

Esperanza Rising. This story was about a rich, spoiled girl living in Mexico who goes

through a loss of a loved one, causing her to move to the United States as an immigrant

worker. In the process, she has plenty of self discovering and maturing moments, as she

realizes that nothing lasts forever. Ryan’s poignant and sharp tone depicting the harsh

reality of a day in the life of an immigrant worker creates an overall sentimental mood

towards Esperanza Ortega, the protagonist of the story. The drama that added into the

novel as a result of her style and tone is sure to keep the reader interested in the story.

The author’s language and style is distinct, considering that she writes in English,

but also has instances when she uses Spanish when quoting Esperanza’s Mexican family.

By doing this, it raises the cultural impact of the main character on the story. She also

uses the names of fruits and vegetables to name the chapters of the book, representing

each picking season of the fields in which Esperanza works in, which is a clever idea.

Ryan also uses many literary devices to emphasize the events of the story.

Personification, metaphors, and foreshadowing are only a few of those. Her excellent

usage of imagery creates a picture of the scene in the reader’s head, making him or her

feel like they’re actually there. An example of the usage of similes is: “When Papa was

alive, everything was in order, like the dolls lined up in a row”(37). Foreshadowing also

can be witnessed throughout the novel. An instance of this is when Esperanza pricked her

thumb while picking roses and her grandmother says:” No hay rosa sin espinas. There is
no rose without thorns”(14). It foreshadows the upcoming unfortunate event, the demise

of Esperanza’s father.

Of course the main character of the story is Esperanza Ortega. She develops

greatly in this story and changes in a way in which the reader would never expect. As she

starts her life over, she transforms from a snobby and immature girl to a strong, dauntless

young lady. She meets judgmental people who do not get quite a good first impression of

her. Esperanza realizes that she is not a little princess anymore, by learning life lessons

the hard way, which she sticks with for the rest of her life. She also discovers the

meaning of independence and determination. Her development as the main character not

only heightens the poignancy of the piece, but lets the story become realistic although it

is a fictional piece.

As mentioned before, the novel was an interesting page turner, and the use of

literary devices was exceptional. The story was neither confusing nor boring, and the

author was sure to keep a smooth flow of words. Pam Munoz Ryan kept a readable

sentence variation level and the use of dialogue let the reader hear the story from the

actual characters’ perspectives. The novel also contained a suspenseful ending, one in

which the reader can go on to read about, lets say, in a sequel. The author could have

elaborated more on Esperanza’s father’s death though, rather than just writing one

paragraph on it; after all, it was the climax of the story.

Nevertheless, this tear jerking novel is one that will be enjoyed, appreciated, and

admired by many future generations without a doubt.