Masquarade (prompt 18, Ch 6.1)

18. Discuss your book's title. Why is it called what the author chose? What would you call the book if you could choose a new title?



"Hunger of Memory" is the title of my Independent Reading book. The last section of the book is called "Mr. Secrets". In this Rodriguez explains what he felt when he was writing this book. I think that he picked this title because in his heart he wanted to remember his past. At one time he wouldn't have been able to write about his personal life. Rodriguez makes an example from when he was in 4th grade and his teacher told him to write about a night at home. He made up a story because he would have never thought of actually telling his family life. He also thought that it was weird when his friends told him stories about their "personal" life. It took a life time of experiences for him to actually write about his own "personal" life. It is possible that deep down inside he had been HUNGRY to share his personal feelings for a long time and was now finally going back in his life to pull out those MEMORIES that were special to him/made him who he is.

Living in the United States since childhood aloud Rodriguez to adapt to the "American" way of life. His parents, on the other hand, had already been immersed in Mexican culture, and so they kept their Mexican customs. Because of this it was hard for his parents to comprehend that he was sharing their personal family life with "los gringos". His mother begs him to write about other things in the future when he wrote his first biography, "Please write about something else in the future. Do me this favor. Please." (178). Rodriguez decides, however, to write a book telling his life story. He is even sharing his parents opposition to this book in this book, which means that they were able to read it. I think this is very interesting and shows his willingness to "tell it like it is". The New York Times book review says that his writing was "movingly frank". He tells you all the details, even though that memory might have been very painful to him. I think if i could write another title it would be something like...The world behind the mask...or something like that because as a child he never told anyone things of his life. He was distant from both his family and the rest of the world. He hid in books and his studies instead of communicating with others. As an adult he is now taking off the mask and showing the world what was hidden there all along.