Tag Archives: culture

Week 12, Indiana, “Papi”

3 Replies

Rita Indiana’s Papi was a thought-provoking read. In terms of difficulty, it was one of the ‘lighter’ reads—comparably bigger fonts, very colloquial narration, and manageable length. However, this book made me reflect on my relationship with my father and family in general.

“Papi’s there, around any corner. But you can’t sit down and wait for him cuz that’s a longer and more painful death. It’s better to make other plans, to just stay in your PJs and watch cartoons from six in the morning until midnight, or even go out for a stroll, which is a game Mami made up for herself called if-Papi-wants-you-he-can-come-find-you” (1).

This was such a sad and powerful quote that got me really interested in the book right from the get-go. Being introduced to the character Papi through this context, I had so many initial questions regarding the character—such as “what does this ‘Papi’ do, to not always ‘want’ to be with his daughter?” I even questioned if he was alive or not. However, after getting to know much more about Papi, his unique traits, his unrealistically never-ending list of possessions, and his twisted (?) love life, I realized that he just wasn’t an ordinary—nor a good—father; at least in my opinion. He definitely was portrayed as what Professor Jon described as a “macho man lifted straight from the stereotypes of Latin American and Caribbean pop culture masculinity” (Indiana Lecture, p.1).

In the lecture, Professor Jon stated, “So that narrator has to come to terms with the loss of someone who was never quite there (for her) in the first place” (p. 1). This got me reflecting on my relationship with my dad. For quick context, I have been separated from my dad since kindergarten, as my mom and I came to Canada for my education and my dad stayed in Korea to work; my parents are still together, but our family just lived separated. Growing up without a ‘father figure’ throughout my daily life while still ‘having a father’, there were many aspects of the narrator that I was able to relate to. However, I was still able to visit my dad when “I” wanted to (a big difference with the narrator), and my dad supported both my mom and I to his best ability. So for me, when I have to “come to terms with the loss of someone who was never quite there [for me]” but still present more or less in my life, I think I will feel a big sense of loss and sorrow (Indiana Lecture, p.1).

Q: I wonder how others felt while reading about the father character (Papi). Did you feel uncomfortable? What sort of emotions did you have towards Papi?

Week 10, Menchú, “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala”

2 Replies

Rigoberta Menchú’s book, I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, was a powerful account of the struggles and oppression faced by the indigenous people in Guatemala. It was a striking read, one that brought up a strong exchange of emotions.

One of the most striking aspects of Menchú’s story was the sheer brutality and violence that she and her community were subjected to. The indigenous people in Guatemala were treated brutally, their rights systematically violated. Menchú’s description of how she and her community were forced to work in virtual slavery on the large estates owned by the ladinos, and how they were denied access to basic resources like education and healthcare, was extremely painful to read. While the Menchú’s sufferings were painful to read, the strength and hope she and her community held onto was inspiring. The quote that resonated with me was “They’re dead but our people keep their memory alive through our struggle against the government, against an enemy who oppresses us. We don’t need very much advice, or theories, or documents: life has been our teacher” (181).

While reading the book, I constantly found parallels between Menchú’s experiences and those of other marginalized groups around the world: the indigenous peoples of Canada and the Jewish victims during the Holocaust (as I am currently studying the Holocaust in a different course). Despite the extreme violence and repressions they faced, the indigenous people in Guatemala fought back against their oppressors; Menchú herself became involved in the movement for indigenous rights and worked tirelessly to promote awareness and advocacy for her community. Similarly, the indigenous people in Canada have been fighting for their rights and the recognition of their sovereignty for decades, and the Jewish community has worked to ensure that the atrocities of the Holocaust are never forgotten.

Lastly, thinking more broadly about the genre of this book, I questioned the credibility of biographical works in general. There is no doubt that biographical works—and the individual-level of history—are crucial aspects to better understand a historical event. However, biographical works do have their limitations; they are mostly based off one’s memories, which can easily be distorted. Additionally, biographical works are usually told by one specific perspective; it undoubtedly contains personal bias, sometimes explicit, other times not.

Dwelling on this thought, my question for this week is:

How “credible” did you think Menchú’s book is, in terms of objective credibility? Not in terms of historical accuracy, per se, but more on how credible the book felt to ‘you’. Were there any parts of the book that seemed to indicate bias? Should we even care about objective credibility when engaging in biographical works such as this?