Esperanza Rising is a tale of overcoming difficulties and, above all, of the power of a family’s love. Ryan’s book is based on the true life experiences of her grandmother, and seamlessly works the cultural and historical realities of 1930s life into the plot.
Figurative Language in Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Storyboard Text
METAPHOR
SIMILE
PERSONIFICATION
IDIOM
"Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hand." This means that Esperanza must be patient; in time, good things will come. Eventually, she finds happiness when she, Mama, and Abuelita reunite.
"When Papa was alive, everything was in order, like the dolls lined up in a row." Like her beautiful, expensive dolls, Esperanza's life was picture-perfect before Papa's death. Everything happened just as Esperanza expected it to.
"Our land is alive...this whole valley breathes and lives." This means the characters have an emotional tie to the land. The land brings food and prosperity to the valley. It provides jobs for the laborers and wealth to the owners.
"There is no rose without thorns." This means that there is no life without difficulties. Esperanza encounters many thorns the year she turns thirteen.