In “Arts of the Contact Zone” by Mary Louise Pratt, Pratt establishes her definition of the contact zone, which is helpful in understanding similar situations found in “The Achievement of Desire ” by Richard Rodriguez. In Pratt's “Arts of the Contact Zone,” the idea of ​​the contact zone is implemented in a way that sparks ideas about how to relate multifaceted concepts, such as language, communication, and culture. In “The Fulfillment of Desire,” an autobiographical text by a young first-generation Mexican, Rodriguez feels a constant struggle between his family and education. I find that there are more similarities than differences between the ideas represented in these two texts, and I intend to highlight these similarities and elaborate on how they contribute to the same idea. By understanding the contact zones and how to manage them successfully, you can effectively bridge the gap between cultures and move towards the common goal of understanding and thus becoming more complete. Through Rodriguez's narrative in "Wish Fulfillment," one can't help but draw parallels between his story and Pratt's concept of contact zones: "a social space where cultures meet, collide, and they confront each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetric power relations” (Pratt 501). Rodriguez often refers to a fight; he feels that his parents' lack of education limits him. Therefore his concept of education, as a guiding light, and the culture of his parents “meet, collide and compare” (Pratt 501) with each other, and Rodriguez feels that the traditions and culture of his parents eventually overwhelm and control him. Pratt talks about a similar struggle of Guaman Poma, who wrote a letter to the king of Spain to try to resolve the conflict between...... middle of paper ......er examples, from his son's school stories to Guaman Poma's argument. Rodriguez's work is also another example of a contact zone, and he fittingly concludes his work by stating that he was “relieved by how easy it was to come home,” after a long separation from his parents and their culture (Rodriguez 562 ). Therefore, a contact zone essentially refers to how one can actually learn from different cultures, and thus how to further enrich oneself with knowledge, and thus become more well-rounded. Works Cited Pratt, Mary Louise. “Contact Zone Arts.” Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. Bartholomae, David and Petrosky, Anthony, eds. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2008. (497-516) Rodriguez, Richard. “The fulfillment of a wish”. Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. Bartholomae, David and Petrosky, Anthony, eds. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2008. (544-566)