We have covered to much this year, but I really feel like it is all becoming united thematically now that I can look back on what we’ve done. Some of the books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, like How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, some I haven’t as much, like No Se Lo Trago La Tierra. I have to say, Salt of the Earth was one of my favorite parts of the class. I would encourage more films for the class in the future, then again, I might just be lazy. Looking back, hindsight is 20/20 and I can pick out some aspects of the books I may not have noticed as I should have.
For example, taken in the context of the title story in Women Hollering Creek, the chapter about Sandra’s boyfriend/cousin in How the García Girls Lost Their Accents is somewhat illuminated. So much of Cisneros’ book dealt with the gender roles in Chicano communities and misogynistic attitudes towards women. At first, the description of Sandra’s boyfriend sounded typical of deadbeat, sexist men (as stereotyped in literature). The actions of the sisters to take offense to his attidues and break the couple up seemed perfectly reasonable and none too remarkable. It is exactly what my friends would do if I started dating someone like that.
However, after reading Women Hollering Creek, I began to understand how much sexism exists in many Chicano relationships. For the other García girls to notice and act on the situation with Sandra shows that they have become used to the standards in the United States (for better or for worse).
The book have enhanced each other, and my understanding of them.