Guidelines:
1) summary of main arguments
2) something surprising or interesting learned
3) agree/disagree with the ideas and then apply this to a scene or example from the book (one not mentioned by the critic)
Critic Summary 1 Bildungsroman -- interesting word we haven't yet covered in class. :) Summary 1: 10/10
Summary 2: 7/10 I read through the article and while you tell the basic thesis, you don't really summarize the article. Interesting to pick a topic that doesn't mention Alvarez at all. I can see how you could use the article though for further interpretation.
Summary 3: 10/10
The Dominican-American Bildungsroman: Julia Alvarez's How The Garcia Girls Lose Their Accents
By: Heather Rosario-Sievert
5 pages
Rosario-Sievert, Heather. "Anxiety, Repression, and Return: The Language of Julia Alvarez," in Readerly/Writerly Texts: Essays on Literature, Literary/Textual Criticism, and Pedagogy, vol. 4, no. 2, Spring/Summer 1997.
This article argues that Julia Alvarez is actually telling her own story through the four sisters in How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, especially through the character of Yolanda. Alvarez, like the four sisters she created, was exposed to both Dominican Republic and American attitudes during her childhood. "Mine was an American childhood," says Alvarez who was also forced to emigrate to the United States with her family as a result of the Trujillo regime. She reported that she experienced homesickness and alienation as she had difficulties fitting into her new environment. Through writing this book, she not only brings Dominican cultural experiences to the English speaking world, but tells her own story according to Heather Rosario-Sievert.
Because most of the stories within the novel are centered around the idea that these sisters have a difficult time adjusting to their new environment upon moving to the United States, I only focused on the reasons for why the transition was as difficult as it was. This led me to believe that sexuality was the key theme within the novel as it is used to amplify the cultural shock that the sisters initially received. Contrastingly, this article points out something that may have made the transition easier and not harder- language. It argues that language is used as an escape route to the problems faced in the new society and that How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is about "finding a voice, uncovering the unconscious, and recovering the essential meaning of language."
I agree with the critic that Alvarez wrote her story through the character of Yolanda. There are many similarities to justify this claim. Both girls had similar upbringings and were forced to move to the United States as a result of the Trujillo regime. Both were girls who expressed themselves through language as writing was a passion. Finally, because of the attitudes and ideals of their native country, both girls battled not only a patriarchal society, but a patriarch in the form of their fathers.
However, I disagree that language was an escape route for the four sisters within the novel. Although the act of writing may have been comforting for Yolanda, language was yet another barrier for the entire Garcia family that kept them from adjusting to their new environment. Because they were not fluent in english when they initially moved to the United States it was difficult for each sister to adjust and make friends.
When Yolanda writes a poem for school, she is happy that she has finally found something that she is passionate about, but she does not understand the idea of plagiarism. Even when the sisters lived in the Dominican Republic, the "white students" in their classes would make fun of the native students for their "accents" when speaking English. I recognize that the act of writing may have been helpful, especially for Yolanda, but there were many problems that it gave to the sisters as well.
Where Are Fathers in American Literature? Re-visiting Fatherhood in U.S. Literary History.
By: Joseph M. Armengoi-Carrera
Paternal absence has been a recurrent theme in twentieth-century American literature. Father figures have been portrayed as absent and distant figures throughout many novels. Joseph M. Armengoi-Carrera argues that Latina writers initially either ignored or depicted father-figures as dominant and sometimes violent patriarchs, but have recently started to embody them in more positive ways.
I found it interesting that the author of this journal article put the focus on the father figure within novels. I have read about fathers in many books, but they have never held a significant role. This is most likely the case because most writers, including Alvarez wanted to undermine the father as a representative of an ideology that carried out repressive traditional gender roles. This is the case in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents as the unbalanced characters-the sisters- challenge traditional assumptions about their father's "deserved authority."
I agree that although father figures were initially ignored or portrayed in negative ways in literature, they have now started to take on more dominant and positive roles. The initial repressing role can be seen in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents as the four sisters father represents everything about a traditional male dominant society. His expectations of his daughters are limited as all he expects them to do is meet a nice husband and live a passive life. Sophia's display of sexuality at his birthday party leaves him enraged as he does not believe that a woman should act in such a manner. The latter idea of having a positive father figure can be seen in another Julia Alvarez novel, Before We Were Free. Anita's father is portrayed as a caring, and generous man. He does not play the part of a repressing patriarch anywhere throughout the novel, but instead is portrayed as a hero. The father in this case embodies the courage and pride of his culture. This article made me realize the differences that each father-figure holds within the two novels.
Critic Summary 3Living in a Borderland: Cultural Expectations of Gender in Julia Alvarez’ How the GarcĂa Girls Lost Their Accents (1991)
Karen Castellucci Cox
Book- Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez is made up of the difficult stories experienced by four sisters in their attempt to assimilate into American culture. Karen Castellucci Cox argues that these four sisters exhibit American-like attitudes even before leaving their home in the Dominican Republic to go to the United States. She states that "like stereotypical american teenagers," the sisters are rebellious, experiment with drugs and explore their sexuality all before setting foot in the U.S. This she claims gives evidence to the idea that these sisters already possess "American attitudes" from the beginning of their transition. Cox also poses an interesting question by asking the reader to consider the differences in social classes. The Garcia sisters are brought up in a wealthy Dominican family, so the sudden change in their social status could be an important factor in their transition process. Whether or not the sisters were "American-like" in the beginning of the transition or at the end, every choice they make becomes a tug of war between the two cultures they have each been exposed to: traditional, Catholic Dominican Republic and liberal U.S.
The daughters are always conflicted by these competing ideals and must choose which to embrace-"either the restrained domestic mistress of the Island or the politicized, independent woman of the United States." But why must they choose? Why was the transition into American life so difficult for the four sisters? I only thought of the obvious: race, sexuality, and language. Although these things are responsible for the difficult transition process, Cox made an interesting argument about social class. After reading this article, it became almost obvious that social class is definitely one of the biggest factors that hindered the sisters assimilation into American culture.
The Garcia family is a well off and well known family in the Dominican Republic. The four sisters enjoyed a sheltered and luxurious childhood as they lived in a big house full of maids. There is no doubt that they were considered the "upper class" of their country. When they moved to New York City however, they went from being a respected upper class family to an average middle class family. This sudden downgrade on the social ladder would have left the whole family even more confused than they already were.
Virtually all teenagers go through a "rebellious" stage. This does not mean that all teenagers around the world have American-like attitudes, therefore I disagree with the critic in her argument that the four Garcia sisters already possessed an american attitude due to their rebellion even before moving to the U.S. The differing levels of acceptance of the American culture by the four sisters prove this point. Carla, the oldest sister, is the most confused upon moving to the U.S. She even goes into Psychological studies in an attempt to better understand her own mind. As the oldest sister, she had the most time to absorb traditional Dominican Republic ideals which explains why her assimilation into American society would be the most difficult. On the other hand, Carla, the youngest sister, is the most open to American ideals. She is the most rebellious and completely defies her traditional upbringing and embraces her new culture. If in fact the sisters were already so "American-like" than they wouldn't have differing levels of difficulty adjusting. They shouldn't have had any difficulty at all, but they did.
Guidelines:
1) summary of main arguments
2) something surprising or interesting learned
3) agree/disagree with the ideas and then apply this to a scene or example from the book (one not mentioned by the critic)
Critic Summary 1
Bildungsroman -- interesting word we haven't yet covered in class. :) Summary 1: 10/10
Summary 2: 7/10 I read through the article and while you tell the basic thesis, you don't really summarize the article. Interesting to pick a topic that doesn't mention Alvarez at all. I can see how you could use the article though for further interpretation.
Summary 3: 10/10
The Dominican-American Bildungsroman: Julia Alvarez's How The Garcia Girls Lose Their Accents
By: Heather Rosario-Sievert
5 pages
This article argues that Julia Alvarez is actually telling her own story through the four sisters in How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, especially through the character of Yolanda. Alvarez, like the four sisters she created, was exposed to both Dominican Republic and American attitudes during her childhood. "Mine was an American childhood," says Alvarez who was also forced to emigrate to the United States with her family as a result of the Trujillo regime. She reported that she experienced homesickness and alienation as she had difficulties fitting into her new environment. Through writing this book, she not only brings Dominican cultural experiences to the English speaking world, but tells her own story according to Heather Rosario-Sievert.
Because most of the stories within the novel are centered around the idea that these sisters have a difficult time adjusting to their new environment upon moving to the United States, I only focused on the reasons for why the transition was as difficult as it was. This led me to believe that sexuality was the key theme within the novel as it is used to amplify the cultural shock that the sisters initially received. Contrastingly, this article points out something that may have made the transition easier and not harder- language. It argues that language is used as an escape route to the problems faced in the new society and that How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is about "finding a voice, uncovering the unconscious, and recovering the essential meaning of language."
I agree with the critic that Alvarez wrote her story through the character of Yolanda. There are many similarities to justify this claim. Both girls had similar upbringings and were forced to move to the United States as a result of the Trujillo regime. Both were girls who expressed themselves through language as writing was a passion. Finally, because of the attitudes and ideals of their native country, both girls battled not only a patriarchal society, but a patriarch in the form of their fathers.
However, I disagree that language was an escape route for the four sisters within the novel. Although the act of writing may have been comforting for Yolanda, language was yet another barrier for the entire Garcia family that kept them from adjusting to their new environment. Because they were not fluent in english when they initially moved to the United States it was difficult for each sister to adjust and make friends.
When Yolanda writes a poem for school, she is happy that she has finally found something that she is passionate about, but she does not understand the idea of plagiarism. Even when the sisters lived in the Dominican Republic, the "white students" in their classes would make fun of the native students for their "accents" when speaking English. I recognize that the act of writing may have been helpful, especially for Yolanda, but there were many problems that it gave to the sisters as well.
Critic Summary 2http://www.questiaschool.com/read/5027584012?title=Where%20Are%20Fathers%20in%20American%20Literature%3f%20Re-visiting%20Fatherhood%20in%20U.S.%20Literary%20History
Where Are Fathers in American Literature? Re-visiting Fatherhood in U.S. Literary History.
By: Joseph M. Armengoi-Carrera
Paternal absence has been a recurrent theme in twentieth-century American literature. Father figures have been portrayed as absent and distant figures throughout many novels. Joseph M. Armengoi-Carrera argues that Latina writers initially either ignored or depicted father-figures as dominant and sometimes violent patriarchs, but have recently started to embody them in more positive ways.
I found it interesting that the author of this journal article put the focus on the father figure within novels. I have read about fathers in many books, but they have never held a significant role. This is most likely the case because most writers, including Alvarez wanted to undermine the father as a representative of an ideology that carried out repressive traditional gender roles. This is the case in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents as the unbalanced characters-the sisters- challenge traditional assumptions about their father's "deserved authority."
I agree that although father figures were initially ignored or portrayed in negative ways in literature, they have now started to take on more dominant and positive roles. The initial repressing role can be seen in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents as the four sisters father represents everything about a traditional male dominant society. His expectations of his daughters are limited as all he expects them to do is meet a nice husband and live a passive life. Sophia's display of sexuality at his birthday party leaves him enraged as he does not believe that a woman should act in such a manner. The latter idea of having a positive father figure can be seen in another Julia Alvarez novel, Before We Were Free. Anita's father is portrayed as a caring, and generous man. He does not play the part of a repressing patriarch anywhere throughout the novel, but instead is portrayed as a hero. The father in this case embodies the courage and pride of his culture. This article made me realize the differences that each father-figure holds within the two novels.
Critic Summary 3Living in a Borderland: Cultural Expectations of Gender in Julia Alvarez’ How the GarcĂa Girls Lost Their Accents (1991)
Karen Castellucci Cox
Book- Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez is made up of the difficult stories experienced by four sisters in their attempt to assimilate into American culture. Karen Castellucci Cox argues that these four sisters exhibit American-like attitudes even before leaving their home in the Dominican Republic to go to the United States. She states that "like stereotypical american teenagers," the sisters are rebellious, experiment with drugs and explore their sexuality all before setting foot in the U.S. This she claims gives evidence to the idea that these sisters already possess "American attitudes" from the beginning of their transition. Cox also poses an interesting question by asking the reader to consider the differences in social classes. The Garcia sisters are brought up in a wealthy Dominican family, so the sudden change in their social status could be an important factor in their transition process. Whether or not the sisters were "American-like" in the beginning of the transition or at the end, every choice they make becomes a tug of war between the two cultures they have each been exposed to: traditional, Catholic Dominican Republic and liberal U.S.
The daughters are always conflicted by these competing ideals and must choose which to embrace-"either the restrained domestic mistress of the Island or the politicized, independent woman of the United States." But why must they choose? Why was the transition into American life so difficult for the four sisters? I only thought of the obvious: race, sexuality, and language. Although these things are responsible for the difficult transition process, Cox made an interesting argument about social class. After reading this article, it became almost obvious that social class is definitely one of the biggest factors that hindered the sisters assimilation into American culture.
The Garcia family is a well off and well known family in the Dominican Republic. The four sisters enjoyed a sheltered and luxurious childhood as they lived in a big house full of maids. There is no doubt that they were considered the "upper class" of their country. When they moved to New York City however, they went from being a respected upper class family to an average middle class family. This sudden downgrade on the social ladder would have left the whole family even more confused than they already were.
Virtually all teenagers go through a "rebellious" stage. This does not mean that all teenagers around the world have American-like attitudes, therefore I disagree with the critic in her argument that the four Garcia sisters already possessed an american attitude due to their rebellion even before moving to the U.S. The differing levels of acceptance of the American culture by the four sisters prove this point. Carla, the oldest sister, is the most confused upon moving to the U.S. She even goes into Psychological studies in an attempt to better understand her own mind. As the oldest sister, she had the most time to absorb traditional Dominican Republic ideals which explains why her assimilation into American society would be the most difficult. On the other hand, Carla, the youngest sister, is the most open to American ideals. She is the most rebellious and completely defies her traditional upbringing and embraces her new culture. If in fact the sisters were already so "American-like" than they wouldn't have differing levels of difficulty adjusting. They shouldn't have had any difficulty at all, but they did.