Hunger of Memory / by Richard Rodriguez: Non-fiction Historical work (memoir or narrative non-fiction)

Bibliographic Information:
Rodriguez, R. (2005). Hunger of memory: The education of Richard Rodriguez : an autobiography. New York: Dial Press.

Plot Description: From the publisher: "Hunger of Memory is the story of Mexican-American Richard Rodriguez, who begins his schooling in Sacramento, California, knowing just 50 words of English, and concludes his university studies in the stately quiet of the reading room of the British Museum. Here is the poignant journey of a "minority student" who pays the cost of his social assimilation and academic success with a painful alienation from his past, his parents, his culture and so describes the high price of "making it" in middle-class America. Provocative in its positions on affirmative action and bilingual education, Hunger of Memory is a powerful political statement, a profound study of the importance of language ... and the moving, intimate portrait of a boy struggling to become a man."

Quantitative Reading Level: Lexile Level: 920L

Qualitative Reading Analysis: Opening in California's Central Valley in the 1950s, this memoir takes the reader on an historical journey through the 1970s and the author's eventual academic success, at the cost of his sense of identity. Several themes are easily traced throughout the memoir, including ethnic identity, immigration, academia, identity crisis and loss, religion, and loneliness. Some previous knowledge of California history and the Civil Rights movement would be helpful for a middle school or high school student, although it would also be a good first time introduction to the issues discussed. Chapters are 30-40 pages long, and clearly labeled in a table of contents. The typeface is medium-large and well spaced, with about 1 inch margins all around. Contributing to the readability of the text are short, choppy paragraphs interspersed with dialogue between the narrator and his family members. Spanish slang is regularly used, yet always defined either outright or in context. The Civil Rights movement makes a central appearance later in the book, and should either be a topic already understood by the reader, or studied concurrently.

Content Area: History, Reading

Content Area Standard: CCSS for English Language Arts, Reading Standards for Literature, Grades 6-12
1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Curriculum Suggestions: Each chapter lends itself to one reading assignment and perhaps reflection essay. Classroom book groups would respond well to this memoir, as many issues and themes pop out and lend themselves to a discussion.

Links to Supporting Digital Content: N/A

  

From the Back Cover:

"Arresting...Splendidly written intellectual autobiography."  -- Boston Globe
 
"Superb autobiographical essay... Mr. Rodriguez offers himself as an example if the long labor of change: its costs, about which he is movingly frank, its loneliness, but also its triumph." -- The New York Times Book Review