strong woman. She lived a life of sacrifice, giving of herself to every aspect of her family and community. She accepted the burdens and the gifts of her place in society. The language of the poem is not overly intellectual or complicated, showing the simplicity and honesty of Grandmothers life. It is plainly written and flows, as Grandmother flowed through life, accepting her roles and societys limitations. The speaker has completely adapted to her new life, as one can tell by the mastery of the English language which is shown in the poem. Some of the isolated lines show bitterness which is felt by Grandmother, such as when she says that Children / steal your days. Another example is the last line of the poem, completely separated from the rest of the thought she is claiming back her territory. One can find several emotions in that one line, from hostility about the time she sacrificed to relief that she can finally claim her time back.In her work, Cofer presents many issues of Puerto Rican society. She challenges gender roles and takes steps to unite the two cultures she lives in without losing either one. Claims tells several storiesthe story of an old womans life and of a females place in Puerto Rican society, for example. It has vivid imagery of the old woman, of the ocean, and of shipwrecks. Claims defends a womans right to be herself, rather than a slave of society and of her family. In this poem, Cofer once again challenges the expectations and limitations placed on women by society. It is a complicated work with many layers of meaning....
