Although this novel examines the very interesting topics of gender, class, race, and the social structure they form in everday life in the United States during the mid 1800’s, the way in which this particular work is written I find quite pedestrian. The author uses an extensively descriptive style, and at times trails off onto subjects which seem unrelated to the ideas and arguments she is trying to present to the reader. Evidently the themes presented include the effects of the American Civil War on middle-class 18th century Americans and race as a key factor in society.

The interesting part of the underlying theme of the novel, is the fact that in the big picture, we are presented with a selection of diverse New Englad families whom are being affected by a war fought over the abolishment of slavery and racism. Meanwhile the author focuses on one of these families, and almost compares it to their personal situation on a smaller scale using Lola’s character. In her writing Maria Ruiz de Burton flaunts these democratic Americans fighting to abolish slavery – and racism – while they in a sense fight their own personal battle with the race of this Mexican girl; more specifically Mrs. Norval.

While reading the first half of the novel, we lightly witness the integration of Lola into this family, and her effects. Mrs. Norval, evidently racist and true upholder of Puritan morality, forms a relationship with Mr. Hackwell clearly represents her low self esteem and a perfect example of a woman of that time who truly did need the direction of a man. It is easy to witness her stupidity as she lets him take advantage of her obliviousness and utter trust for men. Overall, Ruiz’s use of irony and satire creates an interesting novel, although the subjects it discusses do not reach their galvanizing potential.

Fiction acts as a mirror or reflection of society, and reading it helps us understand commonly held notions, and ideals of the times. While this book is indeed a bit tedious and frustrating at times, Who Would Have Though It does help us get a clear illustration of history and societal values of the time.
Through reading this book, we come to understand stigmas of race, nationality, and religion that existed in the times that it was written. Interestingly, while these stigmas have evolved and changed over time, they still exist it different forms today. While the issues are today presented in different terms, having grown up in California, it is very obvious that great prejudice of Latin Americans are still quite prevalent.
In class we discussed the idea of Mexicans not crossing the border but the border crossing them. I think the idea of fluidity of geography between the New World, the Old World, and national boundaries within these regions is a theme that is well illustrated within this novel.
All in all, because this book is a tedious read, I think it is important to try and keep in a historical context.

Some things never change. It has been over one-hundred years since this book was written, yet some of the social constructs and problems I observed in Ruiz de Burton’s Who Would Have Thought It still linger.

Throughout the novel thus far, it seems as if Lola’s prospects of marriage have been scare because she is not Caucasian and not from New England. On page 100, Lola speaks on the racial prejudices acted upon her by the Norval family and her community, stating “I saw that your mother detested me, and Ruth had a sort of repugnance for me…I was an object of aversion because my skin was black.” Furthermore, Mrs. Norval mentions the then 10 year old Lola and her prospect of marriage on the first night they met. When informed that Lola was of a Spanish (not an Indian or African) heritage, Mrs. Norval starkly replied, “I am glad she is not,because…if she be of decent people, then…a decent man would marry her” (27).

Interracial relationships can still be seen as looked down in some societies or by some people today. Take my parents, for example. My father is Caucasian, and was raised in a rural, Catholic area of Washington State. My mother is a Chinese-Indonesian, meaning her family has been in Indonesia for Generations, but is of a predominately Chinese heritage. She grew up in a rural and Muslim village in Indonesia.

When my mother’s family discovered the relationship between my parents was becoming more serious, they were, well, according to my mother, ecstatic. The Chinese in Indonesia are discriminated against because they are a large and mostly rich community. However, my mom, being Chinese, was discriminated against by her Indonesian classmates as a child. So, she told me, when she was “silly and sixteen” she decided she, “wanted to marry a non-Chinese Indonesian or a foreigner”. In my dad, she found both, and also of course, love. In a way, this accidental meeting between my parents was a “step-up” according to many of the villagers.

However, on the other side of the Pacific, the reactions from my father’s side of the family were different. They grilled him, asking him things such as, “Why do you want to date a foreigner? And an Asian at that! From that Turbulent country we have never heard of? What was wrong with the girls back home? Why couldn’t he just date that nice blonde girl from your calculus class etc., etc”. I guess in that generation and in that time, interracial dating was very foreign (no pun intended) experience for the staunch Catholics of my father’s family.

Everything worked out in the end with both families accepting each other, but there were definitely some rough times. For me, it is just hard to grasp that over a hundred years later, people still thought that interracial relationships were still taboo.

And part of me believes that they still are a bit…my boyfriend is from Germany. When I told my parents about him, they said, “Deanna, why did you decide to date a foreigner? And one that is five years older than you at that!”. This statement was ironic to me, seeing as my parents are from two different countries, and 11 years apart. Oh well. I guess some things never change.

This novel is extremely tedious to read. I find its characters uninteresting and lacking in depth, the story plods along at a maddeningly slow tempo, and the writing style is mundane. The only positive note that I can make about Who Would Have Thought It? thus far is that it does well in revealing the complex and nonsensical notions that people of that era held about race. As the story progresses, we observe what the racial hierarchy looked like at this time, how people perceived the race of others and themselves, and how different races corresponded to different opportunities in life.

At first, it does not seem that the white family can differentiate between people of African, Hispanic, or Native American descent, as they all marvel at how black Lola is and make speculations about her ancestry (17). It is clear that they are profoundly racist, associating Lola with a zoological specimen and contagious disease. It is also clear that they, especially the imperious Mrs. Norval, are hypocrites when it comes to their racial prejudices. Despite her horror that her husband has taken in a “black” child, Mrs. Norval is considered to be “a great abolitionist” by others (46).

The novel portrays a societal fixation with whiteness and shows how people needed to assert their whiteness in order to gain access to the privileges enjoyed by that identification. The authour initially tells us that “Lola was decidedly too black and too young for Julian Norval to take a fancy to her,” which implies that a lesser degree of “blackness” would be preferable to him (51). Later we find out that Julian does love Lola and that her skin only appeared to be black because it was “stained by the Indians” who had captured her (100). At this point Julian asserts the importance of her being “of pure Spanish descent” (100). For Lola, the whiteness that she had temporarily lost and her full European heritage are important assets for fitting into upper class New England. This is a useful case for reflecting upon the ways that place of origin, skin colour, and lineage interact in a highly prejudiced society.