What are the possible themes of the poem The Game by Judith Ortiz Cofer?

Answer 1

This poem involves many themes such as: family rejection due to a disability, friendship & sorrow. We see how Cruz (who was named after "the cross Christ bore to Calvary") was seen as a headache, a problem, a disappointment to her family. Even though her family felt this way, she still had a friend (her friend is the speaker). She played Cruz's favorite game "family"...yes they played that game that only became reality within that game. But suddenly "it started getting too late/To play pretend". Sadly that happiness that Cruz felt while playing "family" was all just...a game. It was not reality because her family did not appreciate her; they did not love her. Ortiz Cofer is trying to show us how sometimes people (not only family) reject people who have disabilities forgetting that they are also human and they feel and love and cry and suffer as we do. We need to learn to appreciate everyone, no matter what. Remember, it is worse to have a disability of the heart than a disability of the body.