Bibliographic Information:
Cofer, Judith Ortiz. The Meaning of Consuelo. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003.
Plot Description: Consuelo and her family live in 1950’s Puerto Rico, where American influence is taking hold. The story opens with a description of her neighbor, a young cross dressing man who is regarded publically as an outsider (“la fulana”) – a position with which she comes to identify as her experiences at school and home challenge her view of herself. She develops a romantic relationship with a boy at school, all the while her family is struggling to come to terms with a developing mental illness in her little sister and the question of whether to move to the United States.
Quantitative Reading Level: Lexile n/a, ATOS reading level 6.8
Qualitative Reading Analysis: The story unfolds in a moderately complex text structure – there are multiple storylines in Consuelo’s life and in the lives of several relatives. Although the book follows a linear chronological trajectory, there are some gaps in time. The language is similarly moderate in complexity, with Spanish words sprinkled throughout that are not always defined explicitly. Sentence structure includes both compound sentences and subordinate phrases. Meaning and knowledge demands are very complex – there are multiple levels of meaning that overlap, from Consuelo’s personal growth to the changes experienced on a national level, both culturally and environmentally. Readers may not be able to identify with the subject of mental illness in a child, or even Consuelo’s loss of virginity (As a side note, this book is often recommended as a middle school level novel, and it is that audience I have in mind. High school students might find these experiences or stories relatable).
Content Area: English Language Arts, Reading Literature
Content Area Standard(s):
CCSS for Reading Literature, Grade 8: 2) Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text; 3) Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision
Curriculum Suggestions: This book provides insight into Puerto Rican culture, especially during the 1950’s when American influence was just beginning to transform the landscape and way of life. I would recommend it to support collaborative ELA and social studies curriculum exploring this part of the world and the histories of both countries. Themes of adolescent health and mental illness might also support health-related curriculum.
Supporting Digital Content: Interview with the author, Judith Ortiz cofer from the Center for Public Television at the University of Alabama: http://vimeo.com/82295523
Subjects/Themes: Family, loss, mental illness, sexuality, colonialism
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