Public vs. Private Culture in “Aria” and “The Lesson”

In his autobiographical collection of short stories titled “Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez,” author Richard Rodriguez discusses his upbringing in a culturally divided home and how it impacted his intellectual and emotional development. He highlights the complex relationship between public and private life and the sacrifices he had to make in order to ingratiate himself into the exclusive and judgmental upper echelon of society. As his interests grew and diversified throughout his ascension into the academic community, his relationship with his family deteriorated as the tender cultural bond that they once enjoyed fell apart.

One of the key components of his story is the role of language. He was forced to learn standard English from a young age to keep up with his education, but his family spoke Spanish. As his English skills developed, he started to resent his parents because they could no longer help him learn and grow. So, while English gave Rodriguez the opportunity to achieve far greater success than many of his minority counterparts, the loss of Spanish cut off a cultural bond that permanently ruptured his family life. Despite this breakdown in his family relations, however, Rodriguez maintains that bilingual education should be abolished, as learning English was the key to his development.

Rodriguez raises an interesting question that affects everyone who has ever struggled with societal expectations and norms. Society’s expectations can often conflict with a family’s expectations. There is at least somewhat of a divide between private and public culture for everyone, but it is more pronounced for some than for others. Whether one should stray from their familial obligations is a sensitive subject, but at times it can be the correct decision. Richard Rodriguez had a passion for learning that happened to conflict with the intellectual capacity of his parents. While it did cause him pain to see his connection to his parents fall apart, he decided that his own pursuits meant enough to him to make this sacrifice. He solidified his belief that the traditional manner of education was flawed when nuns criticized his youngest sister for “having a mind of her own.” He maintained the integrity of his values and made a permanent decision to adhere to the expectations of his public life. In this case, it is acceptable, arguably even necessary, to sacrifice one’s private life for the sake of personal development and success.

The family plays a massive role in one’s personal development and has the potential to exert a decisive positive cultural and sociological impact on one’s life. However, based on Richard Rodriguez’s experience growing up in an environment with such a stark contrast between private and public life, it is apparent that family values and expectations should not unequivocally supersede societal expectations. People should always have the option to create their own path, whether it is grounded in private values, public values, or some combination of the two. Private values can often be antiquated and should be subject to routine evaluation to ensure that nobody is developmentally restrained by ideas or traditions that conflict with the person that they want to become. Leaving behind private values undoubtedly caused Richard Rodriguez a great deal of emotional pain, but even he is an advocate for the adoption of public values and expectations when there are opportunities for personal advancement.

Works Cited

Rodriguez, Richard. "Aria." Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez: An Autobiography. Boston, MA: D.R. Godine, 1982.

Rodriguez, Richard. "The Lesson." Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez: An Autobiography. Boston, MA: D.R. Godine, 1982.