The Fox Coat by Rosario Ferré, Essay Example

1) At the beginning of the story, Bernardo just wants to return to his childhood. In the end, he leaves behind. Why? How did Bernard change?

Bernard was looking to find a place that would remind him of who he was before he went to the academy. He basically wanted to see through the past and see the regular things he has been used to doing. Undoubtedly, it could be realized that in line with his desire to go home was a desire to re-immerse himself into the life that he once knew as a child. However, since a lot of things have changed since he has been gone, reliving his life when he was still a child became an impossible hope to consider.

2) What do the quotes mean “But it was too late” and “the last race” and “an imagined death”?

..but it was too late

This line actually indicates the loss of track of connection that Bernard had with his life. He wanted to so much to go back to what was a regular matter in the past, however, when he came home, it seemed that everything he longed for has already been lost.

…the last race

This quote describes the turning point of Bernard’s hope to relive his life and find what was apparently lost from the time that he was away from home and spending his years in the academy. It seemed that his years in the academy were not as exciting as they were expected to be. His supposed coming home was somewhat a relief that never became real because of the changes that happened with his family [especially with his father] when he went away for his studies.

…an imagined death

While he was away from his family, Bernard obviously had his own share of his experiences. He might not have liked everything that happened while he was in the academy. This is the reason why it is assumed by Bernard that his life in the Academy was an imaginary death that put an end to his gist for life. His supposed trip back home that was to bring back that “lost life” even made the death more realistic as the things that made him realize the breath of life have all been gone.

3) Explain your interpretation of blue fox coat. What does it symbolize? Why does he send to his sister? Why she does not understand the message?

Bernard sends the blue fox coat to his sister to show that his life has ended. In realization with the life that he has been longing for which has been lost in the process of the family’s adjustment into a new way of living, giving the blue fox coat to his sister meant letting go of the dream that he would ever be able to come back to the life he once knew. His sister, after hearing the story about the roommate may have realized that he was actually describing his life in the academy, that he was describing himself through the being of his roommate. With this, he intends to send a message that he does not realize the reality or the worth of life to him anymore without the existence of the old ways of living with his family, which his sister actually understands.