Tag Archives: week9

11/3/21

The Visceraless State: Physical Body and Psychological (Percepticide)

Reading Cristina Rivera Garza’s “The Visceraless State,” reminded me of the idea of percepticide related to Argentina’s Dirty War. Garza employs the metaphor of the human body, considering its complex structure, to compare it to the state of Mexico. Just like a human body, a political system can either be healthy or sick. Garza writes that “the neoliberal state has established visceraless relationships with its citizens. Relationships without hearts or bones or innards. Disemboweled relationships” (p. 22). Due to the corruption of the Mexican government, prioritizing profits over the carful protection of its citizens, it left its citizens out to dry and subject to violence by the tyrannical regime, like a body without its organs which cannot protect itself to stay alive.

This can translate into percepticide because as state violence and lack of governmental care become ubiquitous, the citizens can internalize the trauma as a normal occurrence. “It is the forgetting of the body, in both political and personal terms, that opens the door to violence. Those who are no longer human will be the ones to walk through it” (p. 25). In other words, a body without its organs is barely human, just like a loss in morality is inhumane. A careless government strips people of their humanity when violence becomes normalized, which ultimately leads to people adopting percepticide. The metaphor of body as the consequence of a corrupt government, in this case, is as much physical (death and the process of dying) as it is psychological (suffering and percepticide).

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).

11/2/21

Now I’m the Bad Guy

Ena Lucia Portela’s “Cinderella’s Secret Dream” highlights the problematic portrayal of the evil villainess. Portela demonstrates this through Cleis’ own criticism of the heroine, “Cleis couldn’t imagine anything more boring and stupid… She longed to play the “villainess,” an evil woman who gets her kicks committing all sorts of dastardly deeds” (2). The evil woman is active, she gets to do the “committing”; in contrast, the ingenue is acted upon, and the only thing she can do is cry. However, it is precisely the agency that positions the villainess’ as evil. They become transgressive figures and must be made into a villain in order to subdue their appeal. In the classic trope, there are only two options: you can either be the sweet, ‘morally correct’ woman that is submissive, or if you want agency, it must mean you are evil and monstrous. 

However, Portela criticizes this dichotomy. In contrast to the original fairy tale, Cleis must have her own agency. She must be the one to buy her own dress, to bring herself to the party, and, most importantly, to get herself away from the party. Like her own stepmother, she must take action for herself. Perhaps also like her stepmother, she perpetrates the downfall of another woman. Just like how the old housekeeper now makes Cleis do the housework, Cleis makes Lotta take her place in the demented mansion of Price Charming. In this comparison, Lotta was truly the one without her own agency — her life is almost entirely determined by her mother. Cleis is the only one to make it out of the town and achieve her own dreams. Through the success of Cleis, Portela offers a different option from the classic dichotomy, one far more realistic and probable: we all have, and we all should, exercise our own agency, even if it makes us the villain sometimes.

11/1/21

Cinderella’s Secret Dream: an image of female power.

Cinderella’s Secret Dream by Ena Lucia Portela is a short story that constructs very interesting characters. Especially, the protagonist Cleis. The author gave powerful attributes to this character. Cleis is a young smart girl who does not allow men to abuse her. She is not afraid of denying men and she knows what she wants. I found her reaction very impressive when the wealthy man wanted to abuse her and she defended herself. This part of the story portrayed how strong the female character is. Moreover, Cleis’ life is described as quite complicated full of inequality and abuse. Yet, the character fulfils her dream of becoming a radio actress despite the obstacles. This part framed women as capable of being successful if they fight for their dreams. I liked very much how the author, through the creation of Cleis, portrayed a powerful image, emphasizing that no matter what, women are capable of anything.

On the other hand, I found the narrator quite intriguing. It is clear that she is a character witnessing the events of the story, and therefore, tells the story from an engaging perspective. Moreover. I also noticed various library devices, such as simile and metaphors. I quite enjoyed the way the author described and created a powerful context by the use of literary devices. 

Overall, I liked the story very much. I was not expecting such an ending, but I am satisfied with Portela bringing into life a strong female character who trusts in herself and carries power. Cleis represents an image of strength and self-determination; she demonstrates that women should defend themselves and seek their dream independently. Women do not need men to be successful in life.

11/1/21

See the world through your own eyes, not society´s.

The author uses the first-person narrator and witness, which at first is a bit confusing as you expect the point of view to be that of Cleis. Later she gives us a clue “Now Regan, she was really ugly: short, scrawny, and humpbacked, with beady eyes like an owl” (p. 1, line 19-20) and at the very end “As for me, Regan, I’m still here in our town, observing life with my owl eyes.”(p. 5, line 25).
Lucía describes Regan´s eyes as owl’s eyes, owls are associated with being observant, silent, and calm. And well the narrator turns out to be that owl’s point of view (Regan), the correlation to what the author is trying to portray (gender violence) to this character could be seen in the silence of the sister, how she casually brings up the femicide of her sister but quickly turns the attention away, and the lack of sorority between women (she knew that Cleis was assaulted but she didn’t bother to stand against the marriage of her sister).
The tone Regan employs to tell the story, especially the way she describes herself is indifferent, almost as if she meant nothing. One of the phrases that moved me the most was “After all, who’d listen to me?”(p. 1. line 6), she sees herself as less and unworthy, “As for me, I had no illusions about my chances seducing the tycoon.” (p. 3, line 12). That’s why I (and maybe most of us) as readers never expected the narrator to be Regan. Who would criticize herself in that way? Those unattainable beauty standards are not a measure of how much you are worth, but then again that’s what society has led us to believe.