Question

from take the tortillas out of your poetry.
my friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. he took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of spanish, english, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. in other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry.
which best explains how anaya’s word choice establishes his voice in the excerpt?

• anaya compares “tortillas” to “the soul” of a mexican - american writer, demonstrating the ability of these writers to combine spanish and english in their writing.
• anaya compares “tortillas” to “the soul” of a mexican - american writer, emphasizing his belief that writers must be allowed to express their culture and heritage.
• anaya compares “tortillas” to “the soul” of a mexican - american writer to persuade people to read more literature by writers that come from mixed heritages and diverse cultures.
• anaya compares “tortillas” to “the soul” of a mexican - american writer to express his opinion that only those writers who exist outside of the mainstream are worthy of an audience.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt focuses on the loss of soul (culture) when removing tortillas (language/culture), not just combining languages. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The friend removed his language/culture (tortillas) from poetry, losing its soul. Anaya's comparison emphasizes that writers should express their culture/heritage. This matches the excerpt's message.
• Option 3: The excerpt is about writers' self - expression, not persuading people to read diverse literature. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The excerpt doesn't suggest only non - mainstream writers are worthy. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. Anaya compares "tortillas" to "the soul" of a Mexican - American writer, emphasizing his belief that writers must be allowed to express their culture and heritage.