There are many themes found in Latino literature that can be
seen in many different novels. In Latino
cultures overall, family is a big part of their every day life. Most times, your family is the people with
whom you are the closest. In both Bodega Dreams and Dreaming in Cuban, family is defined in different ways, which also
affects the characters’ decision making.
Bodega Dreams ties into the
family theme differently than Dreaming in
Cuban. However, in both novels, we
can begin to explore the importance of family, the roles it plays in people’s
lives, and how it is defined in the two different cultures. Family, as explored
in Bodega Dreams and Dreaming in Cuban can be defined in more
than one way and can include more than one group of people.
Bodega Dreams is a novel that takes
place in Spanish Harlem in the context of a Puerto Rican environment. In this book, the characters are seeking to
better their family lives as well as seek out those they care for. Chino bases a lot of his decisions on his
family. However, I think that his family
has two aspects. At the beginning of the
novel, Chino makes a lot of decisions for his family, his wife and child. He begins to work for Bodega because he
wants to provide for his family, especially with a baby on the way. He wants to be the father, the provider, and
the husband for his wife and child. His
other family is later defined. Bodega
and Sapo are another family that Chino strives to care for and protect. Throughout the novel, Bodega, Sapo, and Chino
all talk about having each other’s back.
It is all about being there for each other, supporting each other, and
caring for the others as if they were your brothers. Family can be defined in several ways and I
think Chino and his different families demonstrate this.
Dreaming in Cuban is a novel that takes
place in Cuba as well as the United States with a Cuban context. In this novel, the characters have their
family and it is developed throughout the novel. The family relationships in this novel are
more related between the female characters.
It develops the mother-daughter and sister-sister relationships more
than the entire family. The relationship
Pilar has with her family demonstrates many layers of family
relationships. In the beginning, Pilar
has a strong relationship with her father and rebels against her mother. However, this changes when she is let down by
her father, finding out he is cheating on her mother. After this, Pilar forms a close relationship
with her mother. Her family aspects and
relationships change when she sees discovers the mistakes her father has made,
how he has let her and her mother down.
Her relationship with her grandmother then grows especially strong when she
and her mother travel to Cuba. It allows
her to bond with her family, a part of her family to which she hasn’t ever
really connected. This novel
demonstrates how family sticks together.
This drove her decision from rebelling against her mother to supporting
her. Her mother was hurt because of her
father and therefore, she wanted to protect that part of her family and
relationship.
In both Bodega Dreams and Dreaming in Cuban, family plays a large role. However, the definition of family changes as
the story and characters develop. These
novels demonstrate the different parts of family, and how family can have more
than one definition and more than one group of people. They both demonstrate the important aspect of
seeking to protect your family, especially when being attacked by another,
whether verbal or physical. Dreaming in Cuban and Bodega Dreams display the desire to
protect those you care for. In Dreaming in Cuban, Pilar grows closer to
her mother and wants to be there for her when her father lets them down. In Bodega
Dreams, Sapo and Chino always have each other’s backs in fights, physical
fights. These two novels show how
families protect each other, whether it is biological family or otherwise
defined as such.