Daughter of Invention

By Julia Alvarez

Alvarez was born in New York but spent the first ten years of her childhood
in the Dominican Republic until her family had to flee the country due to
her father’s involvement in a political rebellion. The following story is from
the novel How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, which is about the lives
of four sisters spanning thirty years in both the United States and the
Dominican Republic. In this short story, Yolanda struggles to write a speech
for school.

Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. In the story, Yolanda and her father have a disagreement that leads to both
positives and negatives. In what other ways can disagreement be a positive thing?
Disagreement can be positive by opening your eyes to a new perspective of the
situation and give you new ideas as well. It can also create stronger relationships
as well as up root any hidden problems that could become problematic overtime.
2. How is the narrator’s identity impacted by who her mother is? How much
influence do you think a parent’s identity has on who their child will become?
Describe a trait or hobby that one of your parents has passed on to you.
The narrator's identity is impacted by the mother by inspiring her to start
inventing things herself. I think a parent's identity has a lot of influence because
since most people spend so much time with your parents you naturally will take
after some of the things they do. A hobby that one of my parents passed on to me
is fishing.
3. In the story, the narrator’s family has very different views on life in America. How
do you resolve conflicts with your family when you disagree? When there is a
conflict within my family, we sit down and talk it out. We make sure to tell our
own perspective and reasonings and be sure to listen and consider everyones and
do our best to not get mad.
4. How does the conflict between the narrator and her father develop the plot of the
story? The narrator and her father disagree on the content of your speech which
reveals how their differing experiences have contributed to their own views on
free expression.
5. How does reading Whitman most affect the narrator? Reading women affects the
narrator by helping her realize how open she can be when expressing yourself in
America.
6. What is the theme of the story, and how does the electric typewriter that the
narrator’s father buys her contribute this theme? The theme of the story is the
freedom to express oneself is valued by many people but some people discourage
 it and fear the consequences that can result from it. The typewriter shows that the
narrator's father accepts her writing in the expression of her ideas.
7. How does the author develop the father’s character through flashbacks in the
story? The author develops the father's character through flashbacks in the story
by describing his past actions and ideas which would help readers get a better
understanding about the way he acts in the present situation.