The Cuban revolution thematic in Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban engages with different perspectives which result in each characters’ points of view. In the same way, this extract of the story, from page 44 “For the next two weeks, […]” to page 45 “[…] the fields will be burned and replanted”, engages with Celia’s attitude towards the revolution initiated by “El Líder”, the symbol referring to Fidel Castro. The voice of the limited narrator illustrates Celia’s engagement towards the revolution. Therefore, the characterization of Celia’s achievements in harvesting the sugarcane depicts her enthusiasm. She believes the sugarcane is the essential resource to enhance Cuba’s economic independence.

Celia’s characterization demonstrates her determination to work as efficiently in the fields as a cutting device: “Celia learns to cut the cane straight across at the base, strip its leaves with her machete, then chop it in even pieces for the gatherers.” (p.44). This juxtaposition presents the process of cutting the sugarcane and Celia’s efficiency doing it. The word “learn” induces that this action requires some technique. The juxtaposition extends the impression of mechanic process of Celia’s gesture. She “[…] cut the cane straight across at the base […]” (p.44), the expression “straight across” suggests that Celia cuts the cane with strength. The term “even pieces” makes the reader notice the precise and effective work of Celia. This precision emphasizes Celia’s enthusiasm.

This mechanical behavior illustrates Celia’s devotion characterized through her perception of the sugarcane. The repetition of the word “sugarcane” reinforces Celia’s obsession for it. “Celia consigns her body to the sugarcane” (p.44), the word “consign” meaning that she devotes her body exclusively to the sugarcane which appears through the repetition of the words “fields”, “stalks”, “cane”, “sugarcane” referring to the body of the sugarcane. The contrast of the setting in the field and Celia’s behavior illustrates that she dedicates her body as a tool for the harvest. The juxtaposition depicting that “there are rats everywhere, hollowing the sweetest stalks, and insects too numerous to swat” (p.44) displays a negative atmosphere contrasting with Celia’s enthusiasm. This juxtaposition emphasizes the hyperbolic description of the environment. The words “everywhere”, “sweetest” and the expression “too numerous to swat” amplify the harshness of the labor. However, the following characterization of Celia’s conduct presents an opposite dynamic to this negative juxtaposition: “Despite her age or because of it, Celia advances steadily through the fields, hardening her muscles with every step, every swing” (p.44). In contrast with the extract above, this juxtaposition reflects Celia’s steadfast attitude with the words “steadily” and “hardening” which both refer to the firmness of her body. The parallelism in “every step, every swing” reinforces this firmness by shifting on her steps and her moves when she cuts through the canes.

Celia’s devotion also appears through her attitude in contrast to the workers’; she “stares as the blood mingles with the sweat of its victim’s chest” (p.44) while “several men grab the worker from behind and take him from the fields.” (p.44): She does not react to the tumult; she stays static by “staring” while the others move and “take him from the fields”. This antithesis in their attitude seems to oppose Celia to the workers. She half observes this situation as she also “does not know to whom” (p.44) the “creole woman spits out a curse” (p.44). She remarks the physical features but does not seek to understand what happens. The description of the worker’s injury illustrates that she fixes the victim and that she notices the blood mixing with the sweat on the chest but that she does not participate in the tumult.

This claim about Celia’s social distance from her environment links to Celia’s obsession with the sugarcane. The third paragraph connects with Celia’s confidence in the sugarcane power over Cuba’s economic independence. Indeed, the limited narrator reports through free indirect speech Celia’s expectation: “And Cuba will grow prosperous. Not the false prosperity of previous years, but a prosperity that those with her on these hot, still mornings can share.” (p.45). The litotes “not the false prosperity” minimizes the importance of this event as if Celia keeps it in the past. As a result, she focuses on the future as the repetition of the word “prosperity” holds a positive meaning for her. This optimism shows up through the word “share” which emphasizes Celia’s wish for economic equality. Her expectation for Cuba growing economically independent extends to the workers referred as “those with her on these hot, still mornings”. The juxtaposition “hot, still mornings” associates with a peaceful atmosphere which opposes to the incident with the injured volunteer.

Celia imagines the sugarcanes as a symbol of richness. She places great hopes in the harvest to enable the sugar’s exportation. Therefore, she imagines the sugarcane as “being ground in the centrales, and its thick sap collected in vats”. The word “thick” suggests that Celia views the sugarcane’s juice as a rich nutrient. In Celia’s mind sugar serves her country as well as others emphasized through this polysyndeton: “People in Mexico and Russia and Poland will spoon her sugar for coffee, or to bake” (p.45). The accumulation of the conjunction “and” reinforces Celia’s expectation for the future and her belief of sugarcane becoming Cuba’s major resource. The enumeration of these crucial countries in regard of Cuba’s economic situation supports Celia’s optimism. Although she expects a lot from the sugarcanes, she recognizes Cuba’s economic position which links with her enthusiasm for the revolution.

The limited-narrator’s characterization of Celia enables the reader to observe her from an objective perspective and through her own vocabulary. However, in this case the narrator is unreliable because its speech bears the mark of Celia’s subjectivity. The literary devices displayed as repetition, polysyndeton and juxtaposition present the incidents with a focus on Celia’s character rather than describing this setting. Therefore, this literary process contrasts the reality of the events with Celia’s perception of her environment. The internalization of the sugarcane symbol as a resource to grow economically independent dominates the narration. Therefore, this internalization illustrates how obsession and devotion enable Celia to surpass herself.

Bibliography:

Garcia, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. New York: Ballantine Books, 1992.