Tag Archives: week 9

11/8/21

Tones of Violence

What stood out to me most throughout the Gendered Violence unit was the tone in which violence was portrayed across different authors. Although each story contained description of violence or abuse in some form, the tone in which that violence was discussed varied, and added perspective to the day to day lives of these people.

In most stories, violence was detailed or at minimum made obvious to the reader, however the tone in which it was discussed implied normality. In this sense there existed themes of violence and abuse but there lacked any feeling of “horror”. Instead violence was made to be seen as a reality of life, one that was unavoidable.

However Garza offers us a very different perspective. Here we are immediately provided detailed imagery of bodies hanging off a bridge. Further Garza is conscious in her writing of the atrocities of the violence that persists. She is aware of the normality of this violence but makes a conscious effort to critique the source of this violence, recognizing that change must occur.

11/5/21

Viscera & Violence

In reading excerpts of Cristina Rivera Garza’s Grieving, I was drawn to the essay entitled “The Visceraless State”. Admittedly, I had to look up the word “visceraless” or “viscera” to ensure I was understanding Rivera Garza’s commentary properly. Viscera, by definition, refers to the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, like the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines. This got me thinking more critically about the content of “The Visceraless State”. In titling her essay in this manner, Rivera Garza is alluding to the fact that Mexico is a body, but it lacks the necessary parts to allow it to function properly. Mexico is operating without heart, without lungs, without its liver. Anatomically, the heart pumps blood throughout the body, allowing your body to function as intended. Your lungs provide oxygen to your brain, allowing it to work properly, and your liver helps filter toxins from your body and keep you healthy. If Mexico is a visceraless state, it lacks everything it needs to function properly, and therefore doesn’t.

Senorita Signatory’s medical distress being unanswered and unassisted is an allegory for the function of the country of Mexico. The government cannot function properly due to its corruption and it being overwhelmed by the so-called war on drugs, that it lacks its ability to care for its population properly- its human body population. Without heart, a government which believes in its ability to solve this crisis, without lungs, the tools which can combat the guerilla warfare that is endemic to the country, and without liver, the dismantling of toxic and dangerous entities that prevent the body of Mexico from governing as it should, the body is doomed to be a visceraless state. This analogy is so profound, and I have to wonder if I was the only one who didn’t catch the full effect of the title at first. Like her other excerpts, Rivera Garza’s masterful choice of words leads her to comment on not only a single entity, but a collective state. Rivera Garza’s sister’s femicide is deeply personal to her, but is also widespread and relatable. Senorita Signatory’s medical wishes for her organs is intimately her own, but also a symptom is a more widely-spread issue.

11/4/21

The Horrible Little Orphan

Portela presents a twisted fairytale-style story with an important message about the impacts of patriarchy and issues of gendered violence. Particularly, I noticed that the narrator uses far more derogatory and disrespectful language when describing the women in this story. This effect is emphasized by the fairytale context; we expect women to fit within a particular fantasy within this genre, but these descriptions are strikingly harsh. Through this demeaning language and critical tone, patriarchal ideology is demonstrated. The narrator, Regan, is particularly self-deprecating about her appearance, perhaps suggesting an element of internalized misogyny. However, another example of the patriarchy in action in this story is the abrupt switch in the description of Cleis from a “sweet little orphan” (pg 4) to a “horrible little orphan” (pg 5) after she accuses the millionaire of assault. This language presents a victim-blaming attitude, how could a man ever be at fault for hurting a woman? This is a patriarchal society that protects men and their aggression towards women, particularly if they have money. For example, the millionaire easily wipes away his crime of femicide with the work of his lawyers. The change in the description of Cleis from ‘sweet’ to ‘horrible’ also suggests that women’s bodies only have value if and when they are obedient and conform to the desires of men.

Traditionally, fairy tales present the man as a hero. In this story, despite the explicit femicide by the man in this story, he is still extremely desired by other women, particularly for his wealth, reflecting an element of desperation. Additionally, the way that women will demean themselves to be with a man for his wealth is potentially reflective of the desperation of Cuban’s during the Special Period. Despite Cleis warning others that Prince Charming is a ‘demented sicko’ (pg 5), Lotta still gets engaged to him, she takes the risk for the money. It seems that Portela is attempting to critique the persistence of patriarchal ideology; it is explicit, internalized, and pervasive.

11/2/21

Regan: A Night Predator (“Cinderella’s Secret Dream” )

Is it obvious that “Cinderella’s Secret Dream” is a story about four women, each in pain, and each trying to cope with this pain. However, the way in which each woman is referred to reflects the perceptions of the narrator herself. Regan, the narrator, often demonstrates her opinions and thoughts with her keen observations. But since she is narrating the story, one cannot trust the accuracy of her words. For example, she portrays Cleis in a beautiful light, often praising her beauty and attributing her behaviours as virtues. Meanwhile, she compares her own family members with the worst vices and attributes. Her hatred for her family could be a projection of the hatred she feels for herself. Throughout the story, she barely refers to herself, and when she does, she often does it in a dark light. I believe she uses her family as a means to outwardly express her own self-hatred instead of directly hating herself. Her low self-esteem is softly noted by the audience when it is revealed that it was her that used the worst description to portray herself. Interestingly, Regan compares herself to an owl multiple times, however, it is important to note that owls are predators. Similarly, Regan is a predator; she uses negative mental thoughts to “harm” her family and herself. In addition, Regan is similar to an owl because owls use the dark to prey. Likewise, the reason for Regan’s hatred is because she keeps her thoughts in the dark by not letting anyone know them. Thus, not letting anyone return feedback on the correctness of her thoughts. She is only able to prey on herself and her family because it is located in the dark (a place where no one knows; her mind).