I had the students enter one of their writer's style paragraphs into and Google form so I could give them feedback. There are some good examples (and some not so good examples) here.
Here are some comparisons:
Basic Example (This is a C)
Pam Munoz Ryan uses lots of imagery in Esperanza Rising. One example is “Leafy green vines draped the arbors and the grapes were ready to drop”(1) Another example is how she watched “…the brightly colored shirts of the workers moving among the arbors.”(2) A third example is how she describes the landscapes: from the “brown barren mountains” through the “golden hills” to the “…canyons plung[ing to] an arroyo, a silver line of water from an unknown river,”(90-91) A last example is how the comfortable land of home would become the prickly sound of dried grass. Pam Munoz Ryan uses these images to create a clear picture in our heads.
A more focused example: (This is an A+)
Pam Munoz Ryan’s use of imagery made the book, not only a pleasure to read, but memorable. Her repeated use of visual imagery gave the story telling a poetic feeling. In the story, Esperanza will learn as much from people as she does from the land around her. The vivid landscapes she travels through reflect the struggles she feels internally. The story starts at her idyllic home on a vineyard where the “Leafy green vines draped the arbors and the grapes were ready to drop”(1) and she watched “…the brightly colored shirts of the workers moving among the arbors.”(2) But her circumstances changed, and she had to move. Her life would become more difficult. She would soon struggle with the land. The comfortable land of home would become the prickly sound of dried grass. From the “brown barren mountains” through the “golden hills” to the “…canyons plung[ing to] an arroyo, a silver line of water from an unknown river,”(90-91) Esperanza becomes closer to the land. (185 words)
Basic Example (This is a C)
The writer uses lots of symbolism in her story. One example is the rose. The rose is a symbol of Esperanza. She is “…leafless and stubby, but lovingly planted.” (124) Another example is the onion. Esperanza is the onion whose “… dry outer skins [were] being shredded by the wind”. (110) Finally the almond represents how Esperanza will be cracked open “…pulled the meat from its defenses…”(128) There are other symbols as well: the Phoenix, rivers, and avocados. The writer uses symbols to show comparisons. Esperanza has the qualities of these objects.
A more focused example: (This is an A)
The writer uses symbolism to show the sources of Esperanza’s growth. In this story, the lessons are all around Esperanza. Not only will she learn from the land around her, the symbolic journey of rising from the dust, Esperanza will begin to observe the lessons in the fruits the earth produces. There are the guavas she was to have for her party and the cantaloupes on the train that are now things of the past. The new lessons will come from the onions whose “… dry outer skins [were] being shredded by the wind” (110) and almonds where she “…pulled the meat from its defenses…”(128) She is also the rose who is “…leafless and stubby, but lovingly planted.” (124) These objects surround Esperanza. These objects have not only become her teacher, but they are also the symbols the writer uses to show us Esperanza’s transformation. The author’s use of agricultural imagery and symbolism do more than tell a story. She paints a picture of a girl who, like fruit with time, is ripening. (173 words)
This is just a start
This book is an excellent book to study in a middle school literature class. For one thing, the level of vocabulary is accessible to all students, if not a little too easy at times. But that does mean the story is simple. The writer uses various literary techniques to tell her tale. In one section she uses an extensive flashback which is woven through the present situation. Esperanza is in hiding, and to emphasize her emotions, the writer has her recalling the last time she endured the fear. The flashback also provides character development of her friend.
(These examples were written by me. They are not the best, but I tried to get fancy. I could revise them, but they get the idea across.)
