English 101 Cofer and Haydar Compared

English 101 Cofer and Haydar Compared

  • Submitted By: Patreeds88
  • Date Submitted: 12/03/2008 1:47 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 730
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 1059

Pat Reeds
11/7/08
Valerie Vencaza
Veiled Intentions by Maysan Haydar and and The Story Of My Body by Ortiz Cofer are similar and different in many ways. They both deal with being different then the norm either religiously, ethnically, and socially, they also deal with gender and class inequality. They are different in the sense that the stories come from totally different places in different time periods and that the social values and norms are not the same.
The Story of my body is about Judith Cofer and her experience growing up as a Puerto Rican girl in America in the 1950’s a time when ethnicity was more than an issue. Cofer’s experience’s with racism and sexism was totally raw and brutal. Cofer’s experience took place in setting that if you have not lived through it you probably could not begin to imagine it. Cofer talks about skin, color, size, and looks and how they affected her as a child and how they still affect her today. Veiled Intentions by Maysan Hayadar is about a Muslim girl in America and how her religion affects the way people perceive her. She also has to deal with modern American stereo typing. Allot less brutal then past stereo typing. Maysan highlights her experiences during early childhood and high school.
Cofer’s and Hayadar’s stories are alike in many ways. Haydar explains how when she wears a veil many Americans think she is forced to through her religion. “Much to my chagrin, many Americans see veiling as an oppressive tool forced on Muslim women by their culture.” pg. 404 For fourteen years Haydars choice to cover with a veil has lead to stereo typing. Cofer also experiences stereo typing too. She recalls her prom experiences as devastating. Cofer a Puerto Rican American, wanted to take Ted a boy she had a huge crush on to prom, well to her surprise Teds father wasn’t having that shit. “”Ortiz? That’s Spanish, isn’t it?” the father had asked. Ted told him yes, and then showed him the picture in the yearbook. Teds father shook his...

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