Esperanza Rising - Examining Setting, Mood

In her novel Esperanza Rising, Pam Muñoz Ryan utilizes several key literary elements to add meaning to the powerful story. Although many literary elements greatly enhance the novel, three key elements especially impact the story: setting, mood and theme. These three areas work separately and together to tie the story together. The vivid descriptions of the two main settings capture the reader's interest and effectively provide insights into the story's characters. Also, the sudden change in setting from a Mexican vineyard to the labor camps of California provides a solid transition between two distinct sections of the novel. In addition to describing regional locations, Pam Muñoz Ryan establishes the distinct setting by including a thorough explanation of the historical context of the story. The author also uses a sort of "calendar" of harvesting seasons to represent the passing of time. This method of presenting the setting subtly connects the various harvesting seasons to the primary moods of the novel: joy, despair and hopefulness. In addition to closely following the harvesting seasons, these moods parallel the setting transition from Mexico to California. And just as the setting transitions establish the changes in mood, the overall change in the story's mood is inextricably intertwined with the overarching theme of the novel: despite terrible changes in circumstances, one can always find hope by making every setback an opportunity for growth. This theme and the moods and settings described above feed off of each other throughout the course of Esperanza Rising. By weaving together these three distinct literary elements, the author easily engages a variety of readers while delivering a powerful message of hope.

If one wished to pair Esperanza Rising with a cliché or idiom, the clear match would be the overused saying, "The Only Certainty in Life Is Change." Esperanza Rising is a novel that thrives on change, demonstrated by the constant flow of seasons, the transition from one culture to another, overturning of attitudes and beliefs long held by the main character, and above all, the insights and wisdoms gained as the protagonist experiences the most tragic and frustrating of circumstances. The importance of change is made visible through constant references to the setting of Esperanza Rising and the way in which the twists and turns of the plot follow the location changes and the transitions between harvesting seasons.

Esperanza Risingbegins in Aguascalientes, Mexico during the summer of 1930. The protagonist, Esperanza, and her wealthy family live at "El Rancho de las Rosas," a profitable vineyard owned and operated by Esperanza's father. The initial descriptions of El Rancho de las Rosas paint a cheerful picture of vineyard where "massive wooden gates" open onto "thousands of acres of Papa's land," dotted with "corrals, stables and servants quarters," (p. 10-11). The ranch is surrounded by "mesquite grasslands" which are outlined by the mountains of the Sierra Madre. Whenever she gazes out the windows of the "large adobe and wood house," (p.10) Esperanza's eyes are greeted by a rose garden lit up by an "orange sunburst" and filled with "miniature pink blooms with delicate stems" (p. 35). The vineyard and gardens, abundant with life, serve as the backdrop of Esperanza's idyllic childhood while inviting the audience to experience the joyous world of El Rancho de las Rosas.

This vivid illustration is abruptly saturated in darkness as a myriad of tragedies befalls Esperanza, including the death of her father, and the destruction of the ranch. Like her home "silhouetted in flames against the night sky," (p.40). The raging fire of tragedy instantly consumes Esperanza's peaceful world, spitting out only ashes. Esperanza's first reaction is to search through the soot-covered rubble for "un milagro, a miracle," (p.44) but her hopes are dashed when she fails to find treasure among the cinders.

Esperanza's escape to California marks a significant setting change. The landscape she passes through on her way to California is described as "barren," mirroring Esperanza's blank expression and internal emptiness after enduring so many shocking changes in such a short time. Her new home is slightly more pleasant than the view from the train, and even in her sullen state, Esperanza notes the green grass and a citrusy aroma. Still, her new home is nothing like El Rancho de las Rosas. Esperanza thinks that the bunkhouses where she is to sleep aren't "even as nice as the servants' cabins in Aquascalientes." To Esperanza, they look like, "horse stalls on the ranch," not, "a place for people to live." (p.100) Esperanza's uppity attitude towards her new home reflects the novel's change in mood, from cheerful and carefree, to tragic, and now, full of anger and denial.

Although there is little to know change in scenery during the remainder of the novel, there are certainly setting changes that reflect both the many moods expressed and the story's theme of overcoming adversity. One such setting change is demonstrated through a characteristic of the California setting that was nonexistent in the Mexico scenes: seasonal change, which represents the nature of day-to-day life of the farm laborers. The drastic changes from stable climate to the harsh and ever-changing climate of California demonstrate how Esperanza's predictable life changes-circumstances which determine the moods and themes present in the rest of the novel.

Pam Muñoz Ryan makes the extent to which climate and lifestyle changed between the two settings very clear. In Mexico, the seasons were relatively constant-the weather was always warm and the harvest always consisted of grapes. Esperanza's lifestyle as a wealthy young child was also very stable before the tragedy- pleasant like the weather and predictable like the grapes. Even her birthday party is identical from one year to the next: "She knew that she would be serenaded at sunrise...then downstairs she would open her gifts...a porcelain doll from Papa. He had given her one every year since she was born. And Mama would give her...linens, camisoles or blouses..." (p. 10). But life as a laborer in California is ever-changing, like the harvest seasons, which range from ranging from Las Papayas (papayas) to Las Papas (potatoes. To demonstrate this, Pam Muñoz Ryan names the chapters of Esperanza Rising after the fruits and vegetables harvested during each chapter. The fruit or vegetable in the chapter title is a metaphor for mood presented during Esperanza's struggles relayed in that chapter. The variety of the ever-changing harvests demonstrates the newfound unpredictability in Esperanza's life. In Mexico, every minute detail was comfortable and predictable, but now, even the harvest seasons change constantly.

But as Esperanza adjusts to her new lifestyle, she discovers hidden treasures, blessings in her California home that she would have taken for granted in the past: "her family, a garden full of roses, her faith, and the memories of those who had gone before her." (p. 250) As she realizes that her life is full of small blessings, Esperanza's mood (and the mood of the entire novel) grows more and more hopeful. By the end of the novel, Esperanza has learned an important life lesson (which is also the theme of the novel): difficulty encountered early on fosters growth in an individual. She knows that like the harsh California climate and its many harvest seasons, there are few certainties in life. Still, she is confident in her ability to learn from the situations brought about by these uncertainties and determined pass the lessons learned on to others, such as her young friend, Isabel: "Esperanza smiled and reached over and gently pulled the yarn, unraveling the uneven stitches. Then she looked into Isabel's trusting eyes and said, "Do not ever be afraid to start over." (p.253).