Hoop Court Theme Analysis Essay

Tom Wong Theme Analysis Essay on “Hoop Court” and “Why I Learned To Cook" How would you feel if your thoughts and ideas were ignored? Why are people ignorant of this? Ignorance occurs when there is a lack of knowledge and understanding. Ignorance, often leading to assumptions, can cause poor communication, followed by failing relationships. This essay will compare two short stories that show how ignorance is used against the protagonists. The short story “Hoop Court,” written by Matt De La Pea, is about a person who wants to play basketball but is rejected by the players practicing at the gym. The main character is determined to show the players that he is a good basketball player and shows up to the gym every day. In “Why I Learned To Cook,”

During a meal with her grandma and her friend, she tells her grandma that she wants to learn how to cook. Her grandma, happy and excited, goes to the supermarket with Yasaman to pick out vegetables and ingredients for their dishes. When they go to pay, the cashier is rude to Yasaman’s grandma, thinking that she does not understand English. In addition, the woman in line behind them looks irritated and in a hurry. Yasaman apologizes to the woman and pays for her groceries. When they have loaded everything in their car and are seated, Yasaman’s grandma tells her to “never apologize for taking up space, Yasaman. You have just as much right to take as much time on that line as you want to. . . . You don’t apologize for who you are.” (Farizan, 94) This teaches Yasaman a lesson to always take pride in herself and her actions. Back home, Yasaman’s grandma teaches her how to prepare a variety of dishes. Yasaman practices making the dishes to perfection for two months before inviting her girlfriend Hannah over for dinner, where Yasaman’s grandma finds out that they are dating. Before Yasaman built up the courage to come out, she was keeping her relationship with Hannah a secret from her grandma. Yasaman was ignoring the fact that her relationship with her grandma could grow stronger once she came out. “I hadn’t yet introduced [Hannah] to my

These stories show that ignorance can make you feel inferior and misunderstood. In “Hoop Court,” the main character has to face the unfriendly antagonists and stand up for themselves. Persevering through the belittlement of the players at the gym, the protagonist is able to earn their respect. Ignorance is significant in this story because the main character has to overcome the ignorance of the players, which adds to the rising action of the plot. Comparably, in the short story “Why I Learned To Cook,” the protagonist challenges herself to come out to her grandmother, pushing past the fear of not being accepted. Ignorance is important in this story because it is the main thing that sets the main character back from her goals. Whether it is facing your bullies or overcoming your fears, the protagonists in both stories help show that internal and external ignorance can affect your relationships with others. Authors Matt De La Pea and Sara Farizan present the theme in a way that helps the readers better understand how ignorance can lead to misunderstandings, but also how experiencing and pushing past ignorance can contribute to personal growth. To conclude, many people face ignorance, but are able to challenge it and reach a positive