Richard Rodriguez’s Description of the Life of a Student as Depicted in His Essay, The Achievement of Desire

In his essay The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez writes about his experiences as a student. While writing about his education Rodriguez makes frequent mention of a conceptual personality archetype. Initially conceived by the author Richard Hoggart, Rodriguez identifies with the scholarship boy and completely relates his experiences to the archetype. As defined by Hoggart in The Makes use of of Literacy, the scholarship boy is a student who, regardless of an economically disadvantaged family, manages to create intellectually, and accomplish outstanding academic achievement and distinction.

In The Achievement of Wish, Rodriguez makes critical observations of himself and of his earlier life, likening himself to Hoggarts supposed scholarship boy in most respects. In fact, Rodriguezs past experiences coincide with Hoggarts description. Hoggart writes that, The boy spends a large component of his time at the physical center of the house, where the womans spirit guidelines (878). This is the case with Rodriguez as properly, particularly in regards to his relationships with his loved ones, and mother in distinct. He even credits his mother as the a single responsible for driving him forward into his future, wanting a far better life for her youngsters according to Hoggart, The boy has to reduce himself off mentally, so as to do his homework, as well as he can (624). Rodriguez was frequently located in the closet, secretly reading novels. Lastly, in comparing Rodriguez with Hoggarts scholarship boy Rodriguez, [] waited for them [the teachers] to tell [him] which books to enjoy (625). This was an instance of the dilemma with education suggested by Herbert Spencer. Rodriguez, equivalent to Hoggarts scholarship boy, discovered in the manner of submissive receptivity alternatively of independent activity (880). Rodriguez, the student, could have broken out of the scholarship boy mold if he relied on himself, his own thoughts and stopped believing his teachers and books as the only sources of education, details and of his individual validation.

Rodriguez is the quintessential scholarship boy. Even so this is only accurate of his youth, and not his present. In no way does Rodriguez describe himself similar to the scholarship boy as a skilled. Following his education, Hoggart states that the scholarship boy [] belongs to no class [] He can not face squarely his own working-class, for that, since the intuitive hyperlinks have gone, would need a greater command facing himself than he is capable of (882). This is not the case for Rodriguez who is not ashamed of his youth, but reflecting on his previous, in an try to understand his present. Despite his childhood similarities with Hoggarts archetype, Rodriguez has skilled no such problems reclaiming his friends and household from the abandoned class. The alienation of his family members triggered by his pursuit of information, and the respect of his professors, was not as total as Hoggart would recommend of his scholarship boy. According to Rodriguez, he [] spent three summer season months living with [his] parents, relieved by how easy it was to be house. It no longer seemed very crucial to [him] that [they] had small to say (638).

Hoggart was severe and final in his description of the scholarship boy. In Hoggarts opinion, the student, due to the way in which he learned, was doomed to an inescapable situation of pseudo-intellectualism, as nicely as an eventual and ultimate disenfranchisement. In Hoggarts words, [the scholarship boy] wavers between scorn and longing (883). This is not true of Rodriguez, who understands his previous, and has no such troubles exorcising his childhood demons. It is in this way the distinction amongst the two scholarship boys becomes evident.

Although early in life as a student Rodriguez is the definitive scholarship boy, he is not as doomed as Hoggarts writings would suppose. In truth his career flourishes as does his connection with his family members. Rodriguez managed to hold onto his origins, in spite of the deep individual conflict he experienced in college. Unlike Hoggarts eternal scholarship boy, Rodriguez escaped the demise of that dreaded archetypes fate, and managed to turn out to be, and remain the scholar.