Ways of Reading

Ten Key Notes about Richard Rodriguez ' Education

As Mr . Rodriguez ' case points out , especially for minority students with two languages , formal education can become a divisive force between the life of the student and the life of a son (P . 547

Ambition can set you apart , from your family , friends and even from yourself . He was so anxious to prove himself that he lost touch with his heritage and his family 's native tongue (P . 548

His minority status was little studied and very different from the popular stereotype of the lower-class

minority student whose education did very little to lead to future success in fact his case was the opposite and came at a very different kind of cost (P . 548

Good schooling requires the adjustment of early childhood habits , at least according to Mr . Rodriguez who nearly repressed his inner childhood habits in the name of `education (P . 549

Although reading is an intensely personal and lonely endeavor , the cultivation of a relationship between reader and writer can bridge that gap (P . 556

There is a distinct difference between being a good reader and being `bookish . Mr . Rodriguez was bookish in his youth because he lacked perspective when he was reading . He said he `vacuumed books .to make me feel educated (P . 558

People become distrustful of people who flaunt their education especially coming from a person that should `normally ' not be so educated (P . 559

This dichotomy between his past and his present is never reconciled , can...