Introduction
Literature is an effective tool for raising awareness and distributing information on a large number of relevant topics that most concern society. However, at the moment, the most prominent of them, which are attracting increasing attention, are works focused on cultural and gender representation and identity. In other words, this kind of narrative provides readers with information about the role that culture and traditions in which they grew up play in human life and how they contribute to gender and identity. An example of such a work is Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia. In this novel, the author explores the lives of three generations of women and how their cultural identity is shaped by factors such as gender, intersectionality, and Latin identity.
The study of works such as Dreaming in Cuban provides readers with opportunities to develop valuable skills in modern society, such as cultural awareness and sensitivity. This is especially true for those for whom the culture described in the novel is not their native culture. Despite the author’s use of multiple literary techniques and the crossing of boundaries between the natural and the mystical, individuals have the opportunity to become part of the traditions of the Latin people. They get a chance to experience not only joy and happiness but also the difficulties and problems faced by representatives of the described culture. In addition, for the Latin community, this kind of work is essential since it implies the recognition and representation of the bx culture. In other words, by fostering cultural sensitivity in society, they gain the opportunity to be understood.
Summary and Main Theme
First, before proceeding to analyze the work Dreaming in Cuban, it is necessary to pay attention to what it tells us. Thus, as already mentioned, the central focus becomes the description of three generations of women of the same Pino family. The focus is on Celia del Pino, her daughters Felicia and Lourdes, and her granddaughter Pilar.
Throughout the story, each woman faces problems that alter the course of her life. One of the main ones, based on which the story began, is the death of Celia’s husband and father, Felicia and Lourdes (Garcia 4). This event triggers a chain of events and the disclosure of the characters’ pasts. Hence, the protagonists see Cuba as a place of healing; some find their mystical, spiritual origin there, and for some, as for the mother of the family, it is a source of long-term suffering.
Within the framework of the novel, special attention is paid to the process of forming women’s identities and the role their culture plays in their lives. Each of them has a unique experience that leaves a deep imprint on the formation of their personalities and on how they represent the world around them. So, Celia, one of the main characters of the novel, is a Cuban immigrant who has faced marginalization throughout her life because of her people. This was one of the reasons why she challenged gender stereotypes and became a follower of the revolutionary movement. This aspect shows the protagonist’s high degree of resilience and desire to resist political upheaval.
On the other hand, in the context of identity, a character like Pilar is of interest. The girl has been influenced all her life by two opposite cults, Latin and American. This contributes significantly to the fact that she is under severe pressure from familial and cultural expectations. In particular, these aspects complicate the situation with her sexual and gender identity, which causes an internal conflict within the girl, because of which she tries in every possible way to find a way out. She even attempts to return to Cuba, but is stopped because they believe that she will be much better off in America.
Thus, the reader gets a complete picture of how sociopolitical, economic, cultural, and religious influences act upon representatives of a given culture. What makes this novel unique is not only its discussion of the influence of Latin culture but also its depiction of the influence of American culture on individuals. The author shows the reader “realities composed of political upheaval, violence, impossible choices, familial conflict, love, immigration, legacy, memory, and trauma” (Davoren 1). Through the characters’ personal experiences, Garcia focuses on the collision of opposing realities that women must navigate. On the other hand, these components of their lives become tools of empowerment, while at other moments they threaten the women’s individual agency.
Literary Analysis
To create the most vivid and immersive narrative, the author employs numerous motifs and literary devices. In addition to their purely descriptive and artistic functions, they contribute to the creation of an environment and, most importantly, convey the characters’ experiences and feelings. One of the main motives in Dreaming in Cuban is the combination of the mystical with the real. This aspect is first presented to the reader when Celia sees her husband, who has been receiving medical treatment in New York.
At the very beginning of the work, the main character sees her husband’s conduct in the ocean. She sees how “he stops at the ocean’s edge, smiles almost shyly, as if he fears disturbing her, and stretches out a colossal hand/ His blue eyes are like lasers in the night” (Garcia 5). This vivid encounter with the image of her husband becomes an alert for a woman that her husband has died. This mystical event makes it clear to her that she is now alone in the face of the struggles of the world she lives in.
A special place in the work is given to spirituality as a way of finding identity for the protagonists. First of all, it represents the central role of Cuban heritage and cultural traditions in the Pino family. In Latin culture, spirituality is becoming on par with religion, and for many years, there have been exceptional healers who have helped people solve their problems (Lara 12). It was the search for answers to difficulties that became the reason for Pilar’s desire to return to the places from which her roots originated. Moreover, spirituality and returning to the roots become a way of healing and transformation for a character like Felicia (Murphy 7). This process takes place by confronting her past traumas, which have led to many conflicts within her. She also realized her psychic gift, which acted as a form of empowerment for a woman.
To convey the experience and process of the characters becoming their identities, the author uses the literary element of multiple perspectives. It consists of telling the story from the different perspectives of female characters. This approach ensures that the reader is immersed in a unique experience of happy and challenging moments in their lives. It shows that cultural factors, closely related to social and political conditions, have a strong contribution to a person’s gender and sexual identity.
The contributing factor becomes a special emphasis on political circumstances. The author writes about Celia, “She had fallen in love again/She thought only of the revolution” (Garcia 194). The revolutionary movement becomes one of the motivators behind the actions and transformations that occur in the protagonists’ lives.
In addition, the author uses symbolism, as evidenced by the frequent depiction of birds, mirrors, and the sea. The author writes, “If she had a son, she would leave Jorge and sail to Spain, to Granada/ Her hands would be hummingbirds of hard black sounds, her feet supple against the floorboards of the night” (Garcia 42). The mother of the family suffered all her life because she could not be with the love of my life, whom I once joined in my youth. In the example above, the bird symbolizes freedom from the burden it has carried all its life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dreaming in Cuba provides an opportunity to discover several valuable aspects of intersectionality through the del Pino family. First of all, the author describes the role of culture and family expectations in limiting and causing conflict within a person. Thus, they may face difficulties with gender and sexual identity. In addition, the featured lives of Cuban American women, spanning generations, provide insight into the profound impact of heritage and the cultural dynamics in Cuba and the United States on individuals’ personalities.
Works Cited
Davoren, Riley. “Mother-Daughter Relationships in Dreaming in Cuban and Of Women and Salt.” Diss. The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2023.
Garcia, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. Ballantine Books, 1993.
Lara, Irene. “Bruja Positionalities: Toward a Chicana/Latina Spiritual Activism.” Chicana/Latina Studies, 2005, pp. 10-45.
Murphy, Dana. “She Will Remember Everything”: Black Diasporic Feminist Healing Roots in Cristina García’s Dreaming in Cuban.” Palimpsest: A Journal on Women, Gender, and the Black International, vol. 12, no. 2, 2023, pp. 5-27.