How the García Girls Lost Their Accents
by Julia Alvarez
Alvarez writes an interestingly framed work that gets at the heart of what it means to belong somewhere, and what it means to be sure of one's self and personality. The book is written in reverse chronological order. We first see what time has wrought upon this family's lives and circumstances, and we then see some of the points of origins of some of these behaviors. The novel does an excellent job of discussing class structure, familial relations, and is one of the first novels to really address the way that frequent Latin American political upheaval affects families. The García family is from the Dominican Republic, as is author Alvarez. In their home country, they were socially very powerful and very stable economically. When a political coup forces them to leave their home, the children must grow up in city slums in order to survive. This causes a complete upheaval in the familial structure and the ways in which family members deal with each other. The book deals with the sometimes messy ways in which family members come to terms with the reality that is their lives while remembering the happier times and memories that connect them as a family.
Why This Work?
1. Alvarez writes about a loss of identity, which is very common in many minority cultures, including those excluded from "mainstream society" because of gender, economic status, or sexual orientation. There is also much discussion of identity as connected to your "homeland" which the family is so suddenly forced to leave. These identity issues are at the heart of teenage struggles as your students attempt to identify with their own families, cultures, and personal realities.
2. Historically, Latin America has been repeatedly rattled by violent coups and revolutions. The literature of those exiled by these movements, however, has rarely come to the forefront of writing. This novel treats a very prevalent topic and the way it relates to the everyday people that national violence affects.
3. The book deals with the relationships between generations and their realities, but also tells the unique story of how one generation changes and grows and becomes the elder generation that used to seem so distant. The interesting manipulation of time in this novel allows the reader to see how people change and grow while understanding the ways that people stay the same and are further shaped by every experience.
Resources:
The author's website gives a listing and summary of plot and issues in all of her works. There are many links to reviews, articles, and interviews given about this book, which is one of her most popular works. There are also images of the author and her books, as well as information about places you and your students might be able to see or hear Alvarez speak.
This very comprehensive website gives detailed biographies and analyses of works and themes in works of many important Latina authors. This biography examines Alvarez's life in relation to her works, as well as expounding upon the importance of this particular novel.
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Last Updated July 8, 2004