The Roots of Family Conflict
The interpersonal conflict within the Garcia family takes
root during the point of political and cultural rupture, when the
family had to leave the Dominican Republic. The fragmentation of
the extended family in 1960 due
to immigration leads to a spiraling dissolution of the Garcia nuclear
family. As the girls mature, they grow increasingly distant from
one another, their parents, and their relatives on the Island. Their
integration into American culture tears them further apart from
their family roots and leaves them badly prepared to deal with their
parents’ more traditional perspectives. During Sofia’s rebellious
phase, she leaves home and prompts a serious rift in the family.
Carla’s clinical indifference toward the family also reveals interpersonal
distance. The fact that the Garcia parents commit their daughters
to mental hospitals so quickly indicates that they cannot reach
out to their daughters during emotionally challenging times. Though
the origins of the family conflict are in the past, the effects
continue to reverberate even when the girls begin families of their
own.
The Problems Posed by Sexuality
Sexuality poses problems for nearly every character in
the novel. Yolanda’s problems begin with her cousin, who promised
her a Human Body doll if she’d drop her pants. She has continuing
problems with a boyfriend, Rudy, who calls her frigid, and her husband, John,
whom she eventually divorces. Sofia uses sexuality as a tool to rebel
against her father and assert her independence. Carla sees sexuality
as an embarrassing and possibly threatening aspect of human psychology,
a perspective that stems from her exposure to a perverted exhibitionist
in a green car. Sandra’s perception of sexuality is not explicitly
discussed, but it must have been influenced by her experience watching
a drunk woman, Mrs. Fanning, kissing her father in the restroom
while out to dinner with the entire family. All four sisters feel
caught between Dominican sexual and gender norms, framed within
a traditional Catholic ideology, and more liberal American and even
feminist standards of behavior.
The Meaning of Language
Language has different cultural and literary meanings
for each of the members of the Garcia family. Laura uses adopted
idioms carelessly, yet always effectively communicates her meaning
even if she mixes up the particular images. Yolanda would never
be so careless, since she considers herself a poet with a highly
discerning literary perspective. Her husband John’s monolingual
limitations frustrate her and lead to the end of their relationship,
when they lose the ability to communicate effectively. The deterioration
of her ability to make sense of language also signals her imminent
mental breakdown. Sandra’s breakdown is also preceded by her fear
that she’ll lose the ability to read and reason with language, indicating
that humanity for her is symbolized by language itself. Carla’s
difficulties fitting into American society and communicating with
the authorities, such as teachers and the police, stem from her
limited English ability. For her, language has the power to exclude
and isolate, in addition to the power to connect and facilitate
interactions.
