Caramelo - by Sandra Cisneros
In her first large-scale novel, Cisneros creates a massive tale that is just that - a well-woven story that finds itself in and out of fact, trying to weave truth with actual events and fictionalized tidbits that get more at the truth than actual events. The author admits in the first part to sometimes throwing some lies into the story, which makes this novel all the more endearing. It tells the tale of several generations and the struggles that each one has faced. The characters are all connected through their familial relationships, but each have something to tell the reader. The older generation tells of life in the older Mexico, and the middle generation shows the hardship of emigration and finding a new home in the United States. Lala, the pre-teen main character of this epic, shows both what it is like to be any teenager facing the normal challenges of growing up, but also the way different parts of her culture interact to create her present reality. Parts of the story also take the interesting stance of having each generation give its opinion of the others. The reader is enlightened by the young generation's hate of the old, and the old generation's disgust at the Americanized habits of the young. The characters and readers all learn that there is something to be gained and understood from every other participant in this life and story.
Why This Work?
1. This novel emphasizes the oral tradition on Mexican culture, using a narrator who often interrupts in a story-telling type of fashion with intricate falsehoods woven into possibilities of truth. Students can learn to appreciate this diversion from their typical knowledge of strictly written history and tales.
2. The gap between generations is well-addressed, both as a universal theme in any culture, and as a particularly difficult element of immigration and migration. Lala and her family have grown so differently, as was required by their changing life circumstances. In the book, the must learn to see their commonalities, even while experiencing the vastness of their differences.
3. Cisneros's work allows readers a glimpse at the culture that Chicanos have come from. Not only do we see a realistic viewpoint of what life for immigrants can be like, we see how they came to be immigrants, and what they have left behind. This gives students a better appreciation for the strength of immigrants of all cultures.
Resources:
Sandra Cisernos's Official Website provides some great links to articles, reviews, and interviews that the author has given about her works. It also provides details on each of the author's works and other resources.
Hispanic Magazine provides this interview with Sandra Cisneros about her novel, discussing the author's history, the implications of the novel, and why Latino literature is so important to today's society.
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Last Updated July 8, 2004