The Story of Maria Garcia Maria’s life had always been dark with unfortunate event occurring one after another. Her daughter, Esperanza, was the light of her life, and the one person that kept her going throughout the day. At the age of two, Esperanza would fill the house with joy and sweet laughter. By running through the house with a tattered blanket, she would bring life wherever she roamed. Esperanza reminded her of the sweetest days of childhood, where she was worry free and carefree. Alas, Maria’s life was no longer full of life.
Maria worked as a migrant farm worker, where she was forced to move from one place to another. Each day, she was breaking her back just to support her family. The sun beat down against Maria’s face…show more content… Maria moved from one rugged house to the next. With each house, at least one component of the house was not functional. The house on Keeler Street lacked water supply. While living in that neighborhood, Maria and her family often felt parched and lacked energy due to the lack of water. Their clothes were often covered in dirt, mud and dust, basically anything dirt related. The pipes of the plumbing system were often found cracked, as if someone had purposely chucked the pipe on the hard concrete pavement. The house on Paulina Street lacked windows. The air circulation was similar to the air quality of a closet. It was as stuffy as the air on a hot summer day, only year round. Maria’s often experienced difficulty in breathing. Occasionally, this lead to ambulance calls, due to the shortage of air. Maria was well known for her lungs that didn’t work. If she had enough money to see a doctor, she would be diagnosed with asthma.
Through the challenges, Maria remained hopeful because of Esperanza. Keep in mind that Maria had not always been poor. After becoming a high school graduate, Maria was accepted into Berkeley, a very prestigious school. Maria had dreamed of becoming a scholar and a student, but her father had other plans for her. He believed that girls and women alike should affix to housework chores by avoiding education. Her father valued tradition above all else. Maria obviously did not concur with her father’s beliefs. She believed