Mother(land) Knows Best

The decadent and delicious peanut butter and chocolate covered cake that defines my childhood in Philadelphia remains now a faint memory now that I have entered the state of Georgia. While Tastykakes is a regional treat that can be found in every Pennsylvania grocery store and gas station, the Coca-Cola logo stands as a world wide symbol recognized in Egypt, France and almost in every country. Globalization and the exposure to other country’s goods can influence the culture of the native land. Martin Espada’s poem “Coca-Cola and Coco Frio” demonstrates the idea of two cultures coming together. Within this poem the author uses literary techniques such as diction, imagery and personification to create a story that encapsulates the ideas of a natural world versus a material world. Even the title of the poem shows the contrast of the two worlds, the “Coca-Cola” representing the material and “Coco Frio” representing the natural. This vivid contrast between the two leads the reader to think that materialism can often overpower the simplicity of nature. In this poem the author also makes a literary criticism on how an over-industrialized America takes away the natural beauty and heritage of one’s native land.

The speaker uses the literary technique of diction to show a contrast between the natural and material world in the poem. The “island of family folklore” provokes the feeling of mystery and heritage closely associated with the natural homeland of the speaker (2). The speaker also describes the Coca-Cola given to the boy as a “potion” that he drank in a “bored” fashion (3). Even though the speaker describes the Coca-Cola, a materialistic element, “potion” carries a frightening and scary connotation. This use of the dark diction de...

... middle of paper ...

...flood their shores. Exposure to new customs encourages acceptances of others; however, forgetting the past never leads to a good future. Keeping traditions alive allows people to feel connected to their homeland where ever they live. Ironically, a Georgia based company recently bought the legendary Philadelphia trademark company Tastykake. The future remains uncertain whether Tastykake will become the “Coco-Cola” of the South and flush out the “Coca Frio” Lil Debbie snacks. Whatever the future holds for Tastykakes down south, I know that when I go back to my homeland of Philadelphia there will be a Peanut butter Kandy Kake waiting for me.

Works Cited

Espada, Martin. ""Coca-Cola and Coco Frio"" Portable Legacies: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction. Ed. Jan Zlotnik Schmidt and Lynne Crockett. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 421-22. Print.