“Casa”
The tales that Judith Ortiz Cofer listened to in the course of her childhood inspired her adulthood and occupation. Cofer asserts, “The (Her mother, aunties and Mama) told real-life stories, though as I later learned, always embellishing them with a little or a lot of dramatic detail, and they told Cuentos, the morality and cautionary tales told by the women in our family for generations: stories that became a part of my subconscious as I grew up in two worlds, the tropical island and the cold city, and which would later surface in my dreams and in my poetry.” Even with the transition of years, Cofer’s does not wipe away the stories from her subconscious. Cofer’s capacity to reminisce the childhood stories is ascribed to the Episodic Memory. Furthermore, the unconscious retention related to the childhood stories reveal in her dreams. The surfacing of the stories in Cofer’s poetry means that the stories sculpted her mind set; hence, the stories are indispensable mechanisms of her ideology and mantra.
Mama’s tales rise above the comical role. Cofer concedes, “her (Mama’s stories were parables from which to glean the Truth.” Even though the stories kept Cofer amused for the duration of her childhood, they turned out to be allegories to the actualities her adult life. Ultimately, Cofer acknowledges that Mama made up the parable of Maria la Loca to edify them on how to take on men and love.
“First Love”
Even though Cofer’s pioneer love is not auspicious, she still cleaves to it, why’? Cofer explains, “At the end of the year I found out that I had not been invisible. I learned one little lesson about human nature--adulation(flattery) leaves a scent, one that we are all equipped to recognize, and no matter how insignificant the source, we seek it.” Cofer is drawn into the fragrance of laudation. She is cajoled by the illusion of an affluent, fine-looking American man. Therefore, Cofer’s attention towards a prince, who is not besotted with her, is accredited to the human susceptibility to blandishment.
Cofer’s first love, which is typically remarkable for girls, turns out to be one-sided love. Cofer recalls, “But the few times I saw him in the hallway, he was always rushing away. It would be long weeks of confusion and pain before I realized that the kiss was nothing but a little trophy for his ego. He had no interest in me other than as his adorer. He was flattered by my silent worship of him, and he had bestowed a kiss on me to please himself, and to fan the flames.” Cofer’s crush breaks her heart when it dawns on her that he does not harbor fervent affection towards her. He kisses her not because he finds her irresistible, but because he wants to soothe his ego. Cofer’s experience conjectures that first love is not at all times a fairy tale.
In the resolution of “First Love”, Cofer proclaims, “Later, much later, after what seemed like an eternity of dragging the weight of unrequited love around with me, I learned to make myself visible and to relish the little battles required to win the greatest prize of all.” The resolution is in agreement with Mama’s assertion, in “Casa” of not permitting “love to defeat her.” Perhaps, if she had not listened to Mama’s judicious stories , the emotional repercussions of the unreciprocated love would have beleaguered her all her life.
