Age of Leticia’s Essay

Moving to New York City from the Dominican Republic was a difficult transition for the little girl.

In the short story The Letician Age, writer Yalitza Ferreras highlights Leticia’s shy yet creative nature by

describing her and the twin’s appearances, exploring her differences from the rest of the children, and

illustrating Leticia’s personality with her rock collection.

After the narrator describes Leticia’s circumstances of the apartment, he remarks on the twin’s

“creamy, caramel color...a perfect mixture….”  Conversely, he noted Leticia’s ”dark skin, kinky hair, and

boyish figure.” These contrasting descriptions between Leticia’s and the twins not only showcase how

peculiar and isolated Leticia expressed but also encapsulated her desire to be the “rare, precious gem.”

She despises how her family celebrates the twin’s physical appearance and synchronous behaviors more

than Leticia’s, for she felt as if she had to conform and follow the twin's standards to come close to

fulfilling her goals of being that rare, precious gem.

  And Leticia’s differences in physical appearance was not the only thing that made her feel

insecure. After the children told Leticia how boring her rocks are, she hastily acts of hiding and securing

herself using words and phrases such as “folded ... inside the corners of the apartment...wedged …

under the kitchen table," and “forts out of sheets and open umbrellas.” These submissive dictions

reinforce the insecurities expressed by her relationship with the twins and her extensive family. Children

around her neighborhood do not play with rocks. They do not uphold the values of her rock collection,

and this hurts her deeply. The readers understand how her rocks provide safety and comfort when she

is at her most vulnerable. When she is with them, all of her anxiety and timidness is washed away.

  After the narrator discusses Leticia’s background connection with mining amber, he then

remarks how Leticia “talk to her rocks… and honor the places and minerals... and praise the rocks.” This
description of Leticia’s action towards her rocks reinforces the strong connection between her and her

collection. Although the children viewed it as bland and boring, Leticia not only viewed them as her

close friends, but she also respected the values each of them have. Author Ferreras further develops this

extensive metaphor by having Leticia paint over the rocks into beautiful gems and minerals. This act not

only highlights Leticia’s desire to be the precious gem mentioned in the middle of the story, but it also

emphasizes the creativity of Leticia behind all of her physical appearance and her quirky behavior.

Furthermore, painting over the rocks to be precious symbolizes Leticia’s hope to express her inner

personality after overcoming her introverted exterior.

  Ultimately, both Leticia’s rock collection and herself underwent similar character development,

and by depicting the rocks to be Leticia, the story outlines Leticia’s personality and ambition through the

journey the rock has partaken. By understanding how both societal expectations and a cramped

environment can hinder growth, Ferreras seizes the opportunity to state that even sentimental objects

can help those who are like Leticia. And in the case of Leticia and her rock collection, it is that strong

bond she shares with it that is powerful to overcome the obstacles in their way.