In both House on Mango Street and Drown, negligent men and fathers are heavily involved in the stories. Specifically in Drown, the men often physically abuse the females. For example, in "Aurora," the narrator recounts hitting the title character until her chest was black and blue. They also neglect their families, leaving the responsibility to the women. In "Aguantando," the mother works 12 hour days but can barely support her children. Worst of all, the father promises to come home but breaks it, disappointing her almost to the point of a nervous breakdown.
Do you think that Cisneros and Diaz put such emphasis on negligent male characters to send out a message to their respective communities? Or are they just purely portraying what happens?
In fact, I think by portraying what happens they in turn send out a message. Issues like this, especially between men and women, tend to be ignored by communities as the norm. The only way to change is to educate. By highlighting these issues, it cannot be ignored. Also, since this theme recurs through multiple works, the relationship between mothers and fathers must be a big issue within the community.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is both, as these everyday issues must be portrayed in such a way as to call attention to a larger problem that is systemic within a community. I agree with Laura that the need to educate a the community is significant and it warrants both these authors placing these circumstances within the novel.
ReplyDeleteIgnoring a problem of this magnitude does not make it go away.