In Gerald Haslam's short story "Grandma," the relationship between having pride in one's cultural heritage and assimilation into the culture of the status quo is illustrated by his inclusion of Spanish in addition to the English spoken by most of the other characters. This can also be evidenced by Grandma's use of Spanish and then English as well as the narrator's decision to intersperse Spanish words into the English used to tell the story. Grandma's application of Spanish also serves as a contrast to the other characters' usage of English only, despite signs that the narrator's mother can at very least understand Spanish.
Grandma's decision to speak only in Spanish eventually softens so that she speaks English with her family members that understand English most readily, displaying her gradual acceptance of the white culture. At the beginning of the story, the narrator's home in Oilsdale is the first and most logical place for Grandma, yet she is hesitant and "unimpressed......
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Approximate Word Count: 632
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |