Anna in the Tropics is a play written by Cuban-American writer Nilo Cruz, which was created in 2001 and premiered in 2002 in Miami. Cruz claimed that his intention in creating the play was to offer a testament to the distinct Latino-American experiences through the eyes of the Spanish and Cubans who migrated in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The discussion below will explore the issue of progress during the period from the novel’s particular characters’ perspectives.
The narrative is set in Ybor City, Tampa, a “city in the making,” according to Juan Julian (Cruz, 2002, p. 9). Despite the fact that he views Tampa to be less densely populated than the places he left in Cuba, he describes Tampa as a kind of limitless metropolis. Without any surrounding hills or mountains, the city seems to extend in all directions and boasts the biggest clouds the character has ever witnessed. On one level, this remark is significant because it demonstrates that for numerous people, Tampa was a location where anything could take place, and anybody could get into the cigar business. This is the main possibility associated with the progress of time – the occurrence of endless opportunities for creation, involvement, and success. Besides, it is also noteworthy since, as Juan Julian says, the immensity of the city leaves few locations to hide or hold secrets.
The latter statement is important for the biggest challenge that Juan Julian associates with the city and the progress – within the context. He explains that the urban atmosphere makes him feel intimidated. He explains that he feels smothered by the structures, which appear to rob him of all his air. Furthermore, he compares these structures to the teeth in a crocodile’s jaw. In this context, he sets out his description of “the teeth of culture” and “the mouth and tongue of civilization” in more detail (Cruz, 2002, p. 20). This picture is essential not just because it highlights the play’s tension between modernity and tradition but also because it reveals a different aspect of the limitless metropolis. When one is obliged to keep moving due to urban busyness, they lose touch with nature and the calm, romantic pace of their previous rural lifestyle.
Cruz illuminates the implications of machismo in his characters’ existence while simultaneously illuminating the manner in which women are disempowered by the existing quo and the ways in which they might choose to free themselves. The most obvious example is Conchita, who starts the play as a very impotent and powerless heroine, locked in a loveless marriage (Cruz, 2002). The opportunity of making herself smarter by reading books – Anna Karenina in particular – makes her able to recreate herself and regain control of her life by being courageous and taking on a boyfriend. This then enables her to reclaim the charge of her marriage and reconnect with Palomo. The presence of the literary element might drive individuals to improve their social and economic standings, but it can also act as a bitter recall of lived experiences and what we have sacrificed.
The discussion above shows how the characters from Cruz’s novel view challenges and possibilities associated with the time. From my perspective, I would consider the occurrence of new technologies resulting from industrialization as a crucial characteristic of progress in 1929. Then, in the humanitarian dimension, there were some important shifts within the scope of human rights – in terms of the development of feminist ideas, pluralism, and freedom of speech.
Reference
Cruz, N. (2002). Anna in the tropics. York.cuny.edu. Web.