Emotional And Love In Wildwood, By Junot Diaz

In analyzing portrayals of women, it is appropriate to begin with the character of Margarita. For, within the text, she embodies the traditionally masculine traits of bravery, resilience, and violence as a means of liberating herself from an existence of abuse and victimhood. Even more, the woman plays upon stereotypes of femininity in order to mask her true nature. The reader witnesses this clever deception in a scene where the character endures a “wholesome thrashing” from her huge, violent, and grizzly bear-like husband, Guerra (81). Although Margarita “[submits] to the infliction with great apparent humility,” her husband is found “stone-dead” the next morning (81). Here, diction such as “submits” and “humility” relate to the traits of weakness, subservience and inferiority that are so commonly expected of women, especially in their relationships with men. Yet, when one

Living in Mexico throughout her teen years was very rough. Unlike other teenagers where their parents constantly provide for their children, Marisela’s life was a lot different than the usual parent- child relationship. She lived with her Abuela ( Grandma) Lupe, along with her 3 brothers and sister. She constantly had to take care of her brothers and sister at such a young age, that she became the mother-like figure of the

In the story, Cleofilas has always thought that if a man ever strikes her, she would strike back. However, as the story progresses, Cleofilas starts to endure her husband’s abuse. The first time Juan Pedro hits her she is too surprised to even shed a tear or try to defend herself (Cisneros, 1991, p.249). Cisneros wants to address domestic violence because many women feel helpless when they are in controlling and abusive circumstances. Moreover, a controlling and abusive relationship causes a great deal of tension and unhappiness, which Cleofilas experiences throughout the story.

Sigmund Freud said, “A woman should soften but not weaken a man.” This quote exemplifies the character Casilda from Isabel Allende’s short story “The Judge’s Wife”. Although not seen by all as a main character, Casilda is the strongest and most evolutionary character of the short story. “The Judge’s Wife” is an exceptional tale that follows the progression of characters as they fight against their predetermined destinies and how they are viewed in others’ eyes. Casilda is a catalyst for the evolution of almost every character in the story. Not only does her character grow in “The Judge’s Wife”, but she is also a medium for the growth of the two other main characters in the story, Judge

Aubrey’s mum turned up and told Aubrey that she didn’t come because some days are too hard

The reader cannot help but feel the burden the daughter will be sharing with the mother. And while the plight of the mother is real, the reader cannot ignore how the isolation and loneliness of this type of community, or lack there of, has effected Tome's judgment in mothering.

To make her life better. Why didn't I? I could have turned to my parents, I suppose. It would have blown up my family in an instant. Instead of my siblings and I kept everything to ourselves, and rather than blowing up in an instant my family broke apart slowly.” Trizon noticed that because he never stood up for her, she lost her freedom to live. Lola never felt happy because she was under the families power. She was a enslaved all her life. Lola was never educated like normal people she never knew how to read or write. She never felt loved by her parents, like the way Tizon’s parents loved him and his sibling. Tizon sees how Lola never had the opportunity to see the world and what the world had to offer her. He realized that not talking to his parents put Lola in a bad situation. For instance, when Lola was complaining about how her teeth hurt, which hurt her for months, Tizon’s mom used to always accuse her of faking it so she doesn't work. Tizon told his mother that Lola should go see the dentist. But Tizon’s mother refused, she began to think that the children were siding with Lola instead of her.

When Maya returns to Stamps after spending time with her mother, she endures the shame of having been sexually abused by Mr. Freeman, her mother’s boyfriend. Maya stops speaking to everyone except her brother, Bailey. Her real mother accepts her silence at first as trauma, but she later gets angry at Maya’s “disrespectful behavior”. Much to Maya’s relief, she is sent back to live with Momma in Stamps along with her

This stemmed from yet another form of control by her parents. Because they were first-generation Americans, they had hope that their daughter "could transcend the racism they'd experienced and to surpass society's low expectations" (Navarro 1998). Woven in this story is the strongest patriarchical influence of them all: Navarro and her sister were expected to live up to their father's expectations and "fulfill his macho idea of sensuality, a classic Madonna/whore tightrope that demanded we be attractive yet pure" (Navarro 1998). A lot of pressure was placed on Navarro's self-image and what she did with her body, as one wrong move jeopardized how the community viewed her entire family, not just her as an individual. In this way, Navarro was, for many years, unable to construct her personal identity and struggled greatly with her agency. In essence, Navarro was not her own person, but rather, her parents', and was expected live by unattainable and unrealistic concepts of being a woman. As Navarro grew into her body, she began to hate it more and more, which was the result of the patriarchical-dominated society she lived in. From every angle she would be critiqued in ways that made her uncomfortable, whether it was criticism or praise from her father, or a random bystander whistling at her on the street because of an article of clothing she was wearing. She stated that she was getting "lots of attention, but no self-esteem". In this regard, one

Indeed, a woman should soften but not weaken a man. This supposition exemplifies the character Casilda from “The Judge’s Wife” short story by Isabel Allende. Although not seen by all as the main character, Casilda is the strongest and most evolutionary personality of the short story. “The Judge’s Wife” is an exceptional tale that follows the progression of characters as they fight against their predetermined destinies and how they are viewed in others’ eyes. Casilda is a catalyst for the evolution of almost every character in the story. Not only does her character grow in “The Judge’s Wife,” but she is also a medium for the growth of the two other main characters in the story. Casilda molds the personality of a majority of the characters in the story, distinctly Judge Hidalgo and Nicolas Vida.

The bond between a mother and child is often spoken of as being unlike any other. Yet there are always exceptions to the rule where this connection isn 't as impenetrable as one might assume. This book is an example of this bond gradually becoming weaker over time. It shows how it affects the child, Bone, and leaves her vulnerable to the abuse of her step-father. Bone’s mother, Anney, had fallen in love with a man who abused her which at first, she’s unaware but eventually comes to realize but still chooses to stay with him. Throughout the book there are instances of Anney’s negligence in recognizing her daughter’s abuse and being of aid to her but wasn 't. In having to deal with her

In “The Mother”, Brooks discusses the mental torment that she has experienced after having an abortion. She writes that “Abortions will not let you forget” (Brooks 388), meaning that the burdensome decision to have an abortion is something that will haunt her for years, because she agree to end the life of her own child. A woman’s connection to her child is extremely powerful and she must cope with the love that she had extinguished. At first glance, Hemingway’s story illustrates how a pregnancy can upset a happy relationship. The relationship between the man and the

The mother-daughter relationship is often scrutinized, publicized, and capitalized on. Whether from tell-all biographies, to humorous sit-coms, or private therapy sessions, this particular relationship dynamic gives some of the most emotion-activating memories. When female authors reflect and write about their relationships with their mothers, they have a tendency to taint their reflections with the opinions they have as an adult, reviewing the actions of their mother when they were young. These opinions set the tone of the story independently and in conjunction with the relationship itself and manifest in creative literary styles that weave an even more intricate story. Case in point, when reviewing the two literary works “I Stand Here

Being a good mother is the ability to conduct the child from the place of uncertainty, insecurity and not knowing, to the inside of the enclosure where all is safe and understandable. Good mothers protect and provide for their family all costs. Though sometimes, that’s untrue. Sometimes a child might feel the need to help his impoverished mother out by any means necessary. Though their intentions are good, the public perceives their action as criminal. In the story “Tuesday Siesta” by author “Gabríel Garcia Márquez”, such a situation exists. A mother raised her son to the best of her ability and tried to keep him out of trouble. The town views her as a

Maya Angelou said, “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow” (Wanderlust 1). The relationship a mother has with her child transcends all other relationships in complexity. Maternity largely contributes to the female identity in part because the ability to sexually reproduce is uniquely female. With this ability often comes an unparalleled feeling of responsibility. That is, mothers experience an inherent desire to protect their children from the world and guide them through life. Serving as a child’s protector then transforms a woman’s perspective, or the female gaze. While these protective instincts often arise naturally, they are also reinforced by the ideas society’s perpetuates about motherhood. Globally, women are expected to assume the roles of wives and mothers. The belief that motherhood is somewhat of a requirement assists in the subjugation of women and reinforces a plethora of gendered stereotypes. While some women enjoy the process of childrearing, others feel that having a family comes at an irreparable cost: losing sight of oneself. In response to the polarized views surrounding maternity, several authors have employed different writing techniques to illustrate the mother-child dynamic. Through the examination of three narratives, spanning fiction and non-fiction, one is able to better define maternity and the corresponding female gaze in both symbolic and universal terms.