Judith Ortiz Cofer was a bilingual author and poet, born with Puerto Rican roots but raised in the United States and therefore fluent in English and Spanish. The daughter of a U.S. Army soldier, Cofer moved around a lot during her early childhood. Her father was stationed in Panama when she was born and therefore was not able to see her until she was two years old. From then on, Cofer got used to moving from one place to another (Pagán, 2). She first moved to New York, then moved back and forth between New Jersey and Puerto Rico extensively throughout her childhood. Many aspects of Cofer's life also have a visible thematic connection to his poems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay “Volar” by Judith Ortiz Cofer is a first-person narrative told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old girl years old, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, who grew up in a poor neighborhood and faces the self-image issues and emotional challenges that a girl of that age experiences. In the story, the girl is an avid reader and collector of comic books, particularly comics centered around superheroes, her favorite being Supergirl. She is at a delicate age between childhood and adolescence, finds herself physically in contrast to the superheroes in her comic books, and is limited in her experiences due to her family's financial situation. Cofer uses symbols to enhance the setting of "Volar" by capturing the impact of poverty, confinement and media stereotypes on the daily struggles of young girls who aspire to be confident and carefree, such as the images of women depicted in the books. and magazines they can only dream of being. One of the strongest symbolic elements of this short story is the title “Volar,” which means “to fly” (Cofer 203). There are at least two references in the story to the desire to escape from life in the small neighborhood apartment. These references give a good idea of ​​the social setting in which the story takes place. The young girl remembers: “At that time, I had a recurring dream: I had long blond hair and I could fly” (Cofer 204). The girl describes her dream world in which she transforms into a superhero with the power to fly over the city and look into the lives of friends, teachers and other people she may admire or even hate . This symbolizes her desire to escape her own life or compare her life to that of others she encounters. Later, the girl recounts how her mother looks out the kitchen window at the only view from their apartment of a "dismal alley strewn with garbage" and wishes aloud that she could fly away: "Yes, yes." yo pudiera volar” (Cofer 205). Here, the girl's feelings are linked to those of her mother to signify that the dream of escaping poverty is shared by the girl and by her mother. This is symbolic of the living conditions the family lives in and their desire to escape their current reality for something better. You might also be interested in ASA Quote Machine's dreams also symbolize the effect of media stereotypes on girls who may appear different from the images depicted in magazines, or in this case, in comic books. For this girl, the superhero she admires is strong, powerful and has beautiful hair, all qualities she wants. When she dreams of having “long blond hair,” it is obvious that she considers it a sign of beauty and power. Further in this same paragraph, the young girl says she.