Waiting for the Man - Identity in Dreaming in Cuban

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The rise of Fidel Castro to the highest throne in Cuba and the establishment of the communist ideology through a dictatorship was a crucial event in Cuba that marked, divided, and traumatized the nation. This rift is explored in the novel Dreaming in Cuban though the portrayal of Celia del Pino and her family. The book’s frequent reflections (in the form of collected letters) are important in understanding a possible legacy of perceived inferiority and lack of self-identity brought on by trauma and oppression. The book examines not only ideological differences within a family, but in a time of despair for many internally conflicted Cubans, the “father” image that El Lider beamed. Furthermore, the Revolution is divisive to the del Pinos; Celia is a dedicated supporter of the Revolution, while her children and grandchildren want nothing of it. Author Christina Garcia through these depictions ultimately conveys that living in environments torn by conflict, nationalism, and revolution fosters distortion in finding one’s inner self and self-meaning. The difference between the del Pino family and a functional family is that the latter tends to share a common set of values and beliefs that enables them to identify with each other. And if there were to be disagreement about a hot issue—in this case the Revolution—the average family would still find a way to maintain their own individual identities and not shun any one person for disagreeing with the prevailing opinion. Conversely, life for the del Pino family seems to revolve around sitting still and just waiting for things to happen; every stultifying thing they feel, see, and imagine is an esoteric “sign”. Thus, in a family with little to no connection among its members, for the del Pino’s the Revolution is a building block for identity crisis. When the Revolution arrives, it is an impetus for action for Celia,

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