The Achievement of Desire

The Achievement of Desire

Richard Rodriguez

Richard Rodriguez in his essay The Achievement of Desire he describes the constant struggle to find balance between the home and school environments. While at home he longs for a past that is no longer afforded to him. With schooling he begins to yearn for the attention that knowledge brings him. When gaining knowledge he begins to assume a new role and begins to see the separation between himself and his parents. Several reasons can contribute to the problem however, one such reason explained for the case of Rodriguez. "A primary reason for my success in the classroom was that I couldn't forget that schooling was changing me and separating me from the life I enjoyed before becoming a student" (page 432, The Achievement of Desire, Rodriguez).

It shows the constant struggle that many students face, especially those of the minority status. Schooling begins to shape for them ways in which society operates, rules that guide their thought process. By gaining further knowledge one begins to challenge beliefs and attitudes that surround you in infancy. Education, with a special emphasis on knowledge begins to erode the relationship between the family and school environments.

Richard Rodriguez, uses many key terms in the text, but one such term that is important is "scholarship boy" (page 432, The Achievement of Desire, Rodriguez). Rodriguez uses the term in order to describe him as a student in the classroom setting. A "scholarship boy" is someone who balances between the home and school environments. Through the family he is given reassurance, praise, and emotional support. In school however he gains knowledge, which begins to bring into to question that schooling in some form or another is changing him. Schooling, is taking precedent to the family environment, eroding the relationship that once existed.

The essay contrast the constant struggles that individuals face when facing education. Especially, evident is people of different ethnicity were there is a constant cultural difference between that of mainstream society. Education, begins to find a place for individuals in society, but at the same time begins to wear away basic principles which guided them throughout there lifetime.

Schooling indeed begins to transform you. You begin to take on the language, thought process, jargon, in under to gain acceptance among academia. While many of us fail to grasp is how education is changing us. It's not till you sit back, relax, start to think about the past lifetime one had. Until, then one truly never attains the true goal of education--the end.