The Daughter of Invention

How does the symbol of the typewriter change from the beginning to the end of the story? 

There are many different names used for Laura throughout “Daughter of Invention.” How do the different names used for her—Laura, Mami, Mom—reflect the different parts of her identity? What does this reveal about the roles Laura plays in her family? Use textual evidence to support your answer.

What does the symbol of the “invention” have to do with the lives of the Garcías in America? How does the experience of exile require “invention”? What are the various forces impacting the process of “invention” for each character? Select one character from “Daughter of Invention” and consider what they’re “inventing” and the forces impacting their process.

The story offers allusions to the García’s lives before arriving in America to contextualize Carlos and Laura’s behavior. How do you imagine their exile has affected their behavior? How have the changes in their lives impacted their identities? What clues does the story offer to support your interpretation?

When Laura is inventing, her daughters don’t take her seriously and even resent her for it. Explain their response to Laura’s inventions and why you think they don’t support their mother. What clues does the story offer to support your interpretation?

The title of the story comes from an idiom that Laura speaks incorrectly. Instead of “necessity is the mother of invention,” Laura says, “necessity is the daughter of invention.” Explain the significance of this mistake and why Alvarez might have used this as the title. What might it reveal about Laura’s role in Yoyo’s creative life?

Describe the relationship between the four daughters and Carlos. Consider Carlos’s behavior and what Alvarez reveals about the daughters’ trouble at school. Offer an analysis of why their relationships are the way they are and predict the challenges their relationships will face as the girls continue to assimilate into American culture.

Yoyo’s original speech moves her mother and disturbs her father. Using the clues provided, write the speech you imagine Yoyo wrote before her father destroyed it.