Similarities Between Abuelito Who And The Old Grandfather

Abuelito Who And The Old Grandfather
“Abuelito Who” and “The Old Grandfather,” tell two different stories about two different grandfathers and their families, in two different forms of writing. The grandfathers’ family member(s) are present in both writings, whether they are the speaker themselves or just a character amidst the meaningful plot. These family members treat each grandfather in completely different ways, changing the writings entirely. The grandfather in the folktale is mistreated and abused, while the other in the poem is loved, but something happens and the poem turns somber as it goes on. If you somehow knew your future and figured out that you would not be cared for well when you could no longer care for yourself, what would
In “Abuelito Who”, the grandfather is deeply loved, but old and described as “sick” and as “dough and feathers,” inferring his age. The poem is told through the perspective of the grandfather’s grandchild, who cares for him, saying certain things remind them of him after he didn’t “live here anymore” by stating that their grandfather “is blankets and spoons and big brown shoes.” Like the grandfather in “Abuelito Who”, the grandfather in “The Old Grandfather” is old and it is stated that his legs “would not carry him” and his eyes “could not see”, which affected his family’s feelings towards him. The grandfather’s old age was viewed as a weakness, and he was not treated as an equal by his family, such as not being able to sit with them at the table for dinner. The grandson in this story seems to be very reflective of his parents, who treat the grandfather poorly, hence he is seen making a dish for his parents. The themes of these stories can arguably be considered somewhat similar to the ways they are used; In “Abuelito Who”, the theme is to cherish things while they last because you will never know when they could be gone. This theme shows when it becomes quite clear that something has happened to the speaker’s grandfather and he suddenly “doesn’t live here anymore”. In “The Old Grandfather”, the theme is to respect your elders, which is shown when the grandson is seen making a wooden
“Abuelito Who” is a poem, while “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson”, is a folk tale. Both poem and folktale have a hidden meaning beneath the seemingly simple words that make up each. For example, in the poem “Abuelito Who”, it is emphasized that something has happened to the speaker’s grandfather using phrases such as, “used to” and “doesn’t live here”. This could possibly mean that the grandfather had died, or was kicked out of his current home. As the story proceeded, the most of the characters changed in some way. In “Abuelito Who” when the grandfather “didn’t live here anymore”, the speaker seemed somewhat depressed. This was a large difference from the more joyful tone at the beginning of the story. Unlike the character changes in “Abuelito Who”, the character changes in “The Old Grandfather” were for the best. At the beginning of the folk tale, the parents were cruel to the grandfather and mistreated him in several ways, but when they saw their son repeating their cruel actions and intending those actions for them in the future, they soon realized the mistake they had made and became “ashamed because they treated the grandfather so