There are a lot of autobiographies which attract human attention, however, Rodriguez’s “The Achievement of Desire” is a piece of writing which deserves special consideration in many reasons. Being an autobiography like the one written by other authors, Rodriguez’ “The Achievement of Desire” is particular in many reasons.
Many ethical claims are raised by the author. The main idea of the whole article is expressed in one sentences “the boy who first entered a classroom barely able to speak English, twenty years later concluded his studies in the stately quiet of the reading room in the British Museum” (Rodriguez 215).
This is a one sentence summary of Rodriguez’s career who managed to achieve much by means of reading and education in general, but at the same time he has lost his family having created a huge gap between him and his parents who were uneducated.
According to Rodriguez, education is important and it does not matter whether your parents are educated or not, whether you have much money or not. The desire to study comes from inside and an individual has an opportunity to become an educated person in case one wants. Rodriguez wanted to study, he had nothing to do but to read and this activity has encouraged Rodriguez for education.
It was initially parents’ fault who did not pay much attention to their child, who were too involved in earning for living. Rodriguez’s parents were uneducated simple employees who did much to make sure that all the members of the family were fed. Bering allowed for doing whatever he wanted, Rodriguez chose an education path.
Stressing the role of parents in the life of Rodriguez, it is possible to say none. Parents have never been really interested in the life of their son and he also was not interested in telling them what happened in his every day activities. The main idea the author wants to deliver to the reader is that education may separate such close ties as family.
Becoming more and more educated, Rodriguez understood that he becomes more distant from his relatives. They failed to understand him and he was unable to understand them. Therefore, Rodriguez draws a very important claim which may be developed further. Education creates a gap between those who have it and those who have not. Educated people feel uncomfortable in the company with uneducated and wise versa.
One more issue which deserves attention in Rodriguez’s education was his popularity among teachers and ability to answer each question. In other words, Rodriguez knew too much, he was too educated and this feeling of superiority over others also affected his vision of the world. At the end of his autobiography Rodriguez says that education was not that important when one has home where he can return (Rodriguez 226).
Having understood the main idea of education after many years have passed it becomes obvious for Rodriguez that his parents are the closet people to him and knowledge is just one of the characteristics one has which may be or may not be, but family is eternal.
Therefore, it may be concluded that the author of the autobiography, who has been proclaiming the importance of education during the whole hs life, who saw how education changed his life for better understand that family is much more important. There is no book which may substitute parental love.
Works Cited
Rodriguez, Richard. “The Achievement of Desire.” Reading America. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lishe. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2004. 214-227. Print.