Elena

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1984

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Kitchen Table

The central image in the poem is that of Elena’s family nightly gathering around the kitchen table, which represents family life. The whole family is there, which speaks to their closeness and their valuing of shared family time. Mora uses subtle details to sketch out the family dynamics. The children, clustered at the table, “laugh with one another” (Line 10), enjoying each other’s company in the spirit of camaraderie and good humor. Elena is slightly physically distant, “by the stove” (Line 11), which symbolizes her sense of alienation caused by lack of English proficiency. Her husband is captured in the act of frowning and drinking “more beer” (Line 13), a stern patriarchal presence relaxing with a few drinks after a hard day’s work. This kitchen table scene embodies their family relationships. This is a close-knit family in which traditional gender roles are clearly defined, which Mora conveys in just a few specific and recognizable details.

English Book

Bothered by her inability to understand her children’s chatter, Elena buys herself “a book to learn English” (Line 12). She could have borrowed an English textbook, but she bought one, which signals how she is, literally, invested in learning English. The gesture embodies her determination to make a change, no matter how much her husband frowns on it (Line 13). Elena refers to her purchase as “my English book” (Line 19) rather than simply the textbook, revealing how much her sense of self is wrapped up in her need to improve her English. She locks herself in the bathroom with the book to practice pronunciation, wanting to avoid embarrassment but also seeking privacy because she is engaging in something that has deep personal meaning and significance. Her English book represents her determination to grow as a woman and a mother, to understand her children, and to be there for them.

Being Deaf

When Elena says she fears being “deaf” (Line 21) when her children need her help, she worries that her lack of English proficiency would make it difficult to understand her children’s needs specific to their American lives. It is not just that she cannot understand her children’s English words, but also that she has a limited awareness of their American ways. To be able to help them, she must understand both what they say and the social context of their wants and needs. Thus, English proficiency stands for a kind of social proficiency that Elena must obtain for a meaningful life in America. Being “deaf” to English words implies being disabled in American life, which would limit her ability to do many things, including parenting. More than that, Elena must not be “deaf” to what is perhaps her children’s most potent yet invisible need: the need to have a mother who can model the strength and confidence which they, too, will need as they pursue their American dreams. Even if Elena is unable to articulate all these implications of her determination to learn English, they very much motivate her actions and fuel her drive to overcome substantial obstacles.