In the essay “Achievement of Desire”, Richard Rodriguez takes author Richard Hoggart’s, “Scholarship Boy”, and uses it as a reference point to capture his own life experiences as a scholarship boy. Growing up in a working class house hold, Richard was not the average product of his environment. Much like Hoggarts’ scholarship boy, Rodriguez was a very dedicated student that excelled in most of his studies. Although Rodriguez had the full support of his parents he was still somewhat physically segregated at home.
On most nights, he spent time engulfed in books and notes, rather than watching television with family, or lolly gagging with friends. Yet these habits adversely affect his social and family life it is favored in both the definition and action of the scholarship boy. According to Hoggart, a scholarship boy “is at the friction-point of two cultures” (840).
Living conditions for Rodriguez are of that of an average middle class youth, although he possessed the study habits of the brightest. When the boy has escaped the chaotic working class home, he is surrounded by a sort of, “mental calm,” (Rodriguez 548).
School is usually not as appealing and is somewhat alienated by individuals from working class families. Both scholarship boys generally face the separation and alienation of social life in regards to academics. Rodriguez’s parents had very little schooling. He recalls that in third grade he was “annoyed when he was unable to get help”, on a simple mathematics assignment (546).
The Essay on Lower Classes Henry Richard Hal
Henry IV's lecture to Hal in 3. 2 provides the audience with much more than an example of Henry's relationship with his son. It also serves as an examination of the kingship and its changing role. Henry's attempts to criticize Hal inadvertently draw many parallels between him; his son, and his predecessor, Richard II, and while he intends to reveal Hal's shortcomings, he primarily reveals his own. ...
In Hoggart’s recall on the other hand, the student was much more independent and rarely turned to his parents for aid. It is obvious that in the light of family support Rodriguez was “better of”.
His mother was: “a new girl to America [she] had been awarded a high school diploma by teachers to busy or careless to notice that she hardly spoke English” (552).
Rodriguez became very conscious and somewhat ashamed of his parents language barrier. Even though his mother encouraged him and his siblings, to learn and become proficient in his English dialect she also warned to not lose interest in their native tongue. Having lived most of their lives with little education Rodriguez’s parents encouraged him to work hard at school. They knew firsthand how hard it was to get by with little schooling as they were living proof.
Rodriguez also witnessed the difficulties of his parents due to this lack of education; he describes most of their jobs as “dead-end work” (562).
Coming from a low income housing and living pay check to pay check it isn’t hard to understand why someone would be willing to sacrifice their social life and relationships in order to attain an education for personal advancement. The scholarship boy’s biggest issue is that advancing himself is in undoubtedly separating him more from his home environment, and somewhat his own identity.
Rodriguez lost the connection he had with his family after going away to school he recalls how at Christmas break he and his parents were, “lacking the same words to develop our sentences and to shape our interests, what was there to say? ” and that “ one was almost grateful for the family crisis that there was much to discuss” (554).
In becoming the scholarship boy Rodriguez had lost all connection with his family. He also began to listen to the more worldly advice that his parents had to offer less and less, “Stupidly I took for granted their enormous amount of native intelligence” (551).
The Essay on Jose Rizal Life and Education
Family and Early life He was the seventh child in a family of 11 children (2 boys and 9 girls). His parents went to school and were well known. His father, Francisco Rizal Mercado, worked hard as a farmer in Binan, Laguna. Rizal looked up to him. His mother, Teodora Alonso Realonda y Quintos, was born in Meisic, Sta. Cruz, Manila. She read a lot and knew about art and many other things. Rizal said ...
Parents have experienced way more than their off spring and have much to offer, in a world where experience as well as knowledge is prevalent. The most ironic part of the scholarship boy’s life is that he will never be truly happy. A scholarship boy does not comprehend his studies but is rather, “the great mimic; a collector of thoughts, not a thinker; the very last person in class to have an opinion of his own” (560).
He can memorize a book from cover to cover but he will not be able to use those concepts in that book to form ideas and solutions of his own because he does not actually comprehend.
The scholarship boy does not realize that there is more to being intelligent than just knowledge, you must also be an intellect. A quality that neither of the scholarship, as masters of the banking concept of education, they have only perfected their memorization skills. In Rodriguez account of his experiences , he not only relates but he also brings the scholarship boy to life and exposes the pros and cons. Very similar in qualities, work ethic and even preferences, both accounts are still very independent in many aspects.
No two people nor situations are every completely yet both authors demonstrate to students that an education is very important , but you should still enjoy and live out all aspects of your life as it could be regretted later on in life. Bibliography Rodriguez, Richard.
