Rodriguez's "The Achievement of Desire": a Student's Portrait

In his essay The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez writes about his experiences as a student. While writing about his education Rodriguez makes frequent mention of a conceptual personality archetype. Originally conceived by the author Richard Hoggart, Rodriguez identifies with the scholarship boy and thoroughly relates his experiences to the archetype. As defined by Hoggart in The Uses of Literacy, the scholarship boy is a student who, despite an economically disadvantaged family, manages to develop intellectually, and achieve remarkable academic success and distinction.

In The Achievement of Desire, Rodriguez makes critical observations of himself and of his earlier life, likening himself to Hoggarts supposed scholarship boy in most respects. In fact, Rodriguezs past experiences coincide with Hoggarts description. Hoggart writes that, The boy spends a large part of his time at the physical center of the home, where the womans spirit rules (878). This is the case with Rodriguez as well, especially in regards to his relationships with his family, and mother in particular. He even credits his mother as the one responsible for driving him forward into his future, wanting a better life for her children; according to Hoggart, The boy has to cut himself off mentally, so as to do his homework, as well as he can (624). Rodriguez was often found in the closet, secretly reading novels. Finally, in comparing Rodriguez with Hoggarts scholarship boy Rodriguez, [] waited for them [the teachers] to tell [him] which books to enjoy (625). This was an example of the problem with education suggested by Herbert Spencer. Rodriguez, similar to Hoggarts scholarship boy, learned in the manner of submissive receptivity instead of independent activity (880). Rodriguez, the student, could have broken out of the scholarship boy mold if he relied on himself, his own thoughts and stopped believing his teachers and books as the only sources of education, information and of his personal validation.

Rodriguez is the quintessential scholarship boy. However this is only true of his youth, and not his present. In no way does Rodriguez describe himself similar to the scholarship boy as a professional. Following his education, Hoggart states that the scholarship boy [] belongs to no class [] He cannot face squarely his own working-class, for that, since the intuitive links have gone, would require a greater command facing himself than he is capable of (882). This is not the case for Rodriguez who is not ashamed of his youth, but reflecting on his past, in an attempt to understand his present. Despite his childhood similarities with Hoggarts archetype, Rodriguez has experienced no such trouble reclaiming his friends and family from the abandoned class. The alienation of his family caused by his pursuit of knowledge, and the respect of his professors, was not as total as Hoggart would suggest of his scholarship boy. According to Rodriguez, he [] spent three summer months living with [his] parents, relieved by how easy it was to be home. It no longer seemed very important to [him] that [they] had little to say (638).

Hoggart was severe and final in his description of the scholarship boy. In Hoggarts opinion, the student, due to the way in which he learned, was doomed to an inescapable condition of pseudo-intellectualism, as well as an eventual and ultimate disenfranchisement. In Hoggarts words, [the scholarship boy] wavers between scorn and longing (883). This is not true of Rodriguez, who understands his past, and has no such problems exorcising his childhood demons. It is in this way the distinction between the two scholarship boys becomes evident.

Though early in life as a student Rodriguez is the definitive scholarship boy, he is not as doomed as Hoggarts writings would suppose. In fact his career flourishes as does his relationship with his family. Rodriguez managed to hold onto his origins, despite the deep personal conflict he experienced in school. Unlike Hoggarts eternal scholarship boy, Rodriguez escaped the demise of that dreaded archetypes fate, and managed to become, and remain the scholar.