The plot of the story takes place during. Cuba’s Revolution, at the time where Fidel Castro tried to change the isle’s economic situation. The plot goes back to Batista’s reign through Celia’s letters which gives her point of view during the two political situations. This historical parallel raises several social issues through Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban, published in 1992, in America. These questions entertain links with the characters’ identities, the economic situation of Cuba and the opposite political views illustrated by the protagonists of the story. The subject of this essay concerns with the economic growth thematic raised from page 44, “In the back of the plaza, flatbed trucks are accepting volunteers for the fields” to page 45, “She examines her hands daily with pride.”. This passage draws a parallel with the historical harvest of sugarcane in Cuba during the first part of the 20^th century, in order to raise its primary sector. However, the plot pictured in pages 44 and 45 of Dreaming in Cuban contrasts the harvest on the workers’ attitudes with Celia’s subdue to it. Thus, the personification of the sugarcane field and Celia’s perception of the workers’ bodies demonstrates her devotion and desire to contribute to Cuba’s economic growth.

Through Celia’s character focalization, the sugarcanes assimilate to a symbol of abundance favorable to Cuba’s prosperity. The lexical field describing the sugarcanes as abundant embodies Celia’s confidence in the project of growing economically independent:

“Celia imagines the cane she cuts being ground in the centrales, and its thick sap collected in vats. The furnaces will transform it to moist, amber crystals. She pictures three-hundred-pound sacks of refined white sugar deep in the hulls of ships.” (p.45)

This extract depicts the cane juice as thick and collected in huge containers that are the vats which extends this qualification to the idea of profit due to its expected abundance. The “amber crystal” term designating sugar shows its preciousness in Celia’s mind. Her high hope also shows up when the narrator mentions her comparison of the “false prosperity” (p.45) with the new prosperity that even the workers would benefit of as she thinks: “a prosperity that those with her on these hot, still mornings can share”. (p.45). She believes in a new justice which will benefit every class The futuristic projection marked by the future tense and her optimistic economic anticipation also draws the hope for a better future.

Celia’s perception of the field workers’ identities confuses it with the sugar cane harvest. First, the limited narrator only designates the working citizens as “workers”, “volunteers” and “machetero”, which only assimilates them to their role in the field. Through the internal narrative focus on Celia’s thoughts appears her devotion towards the Revolution which she serves by working as a volunteer. The synecdoche replacing the worker by his hand illustrates this: “Celia pulls on a hand stretched before her, its nails blunt and hard as hooves” (p.44). Indeed, the narration points Celia’s indifference towards her environment and illustrates the nature of her current obsession which is of working in the fields in order to serve the Revolution. The simile “its nails blunt and hard as hooves” draws intention towards the unnatural thickness of the nail which appears no longer as refined, rather as a horse’s hardest part of its feet. However, the description of the workers’ environment reflects a less optimistic atmosphere: “There are rats everywhere, hollowing the sweetest stalks, and insects too numerous to swat” (p.44). This hyperbolic description composed with the terms “everywhere” and “too numerous” highlights the fact that they are surrounded by nature and animals which causes them to cohabite with those “numerous insects”. The confusion of the environment with the bodies also appears to underline the fact that the workers and the fields become one entity entailed together. Thus, the term “rats hollowing the sweetest stalks”, though rats really eat the cane’s stalks, it could also symbolize that some people also reap the sweetest benefits without respecting the sugarcane workers. However, the setting of the passage confuses the workers with the colors of the field.

Indeed, the sugarcane field’s personification throughout the first paragraph of this passage assimilates it to a living entity. Therefore, other objects related to the harvest interact with the volunteers, as for example the “flatbed trucks [accepting] volunteers for the fields” (p.44). The image of a flatbed truck accepting volunteers suggests, from Celia’s focus, that the vehicle stands as a symbol of equality by rejecting no one. This impression reinforces when the narrators claims that “the acres of crane are green and inviting” (p.44). However, the focus changes gradually to reveal a narrower place through Celia’s eyes slowly approaching the fields with truck as the narrator signals it: “But deep in the fields the brownish stalks rise from the earth to more than twice her height, occluding her vision” (p.44). Celia and the fields confuse into one another until they form an entity: “The sun browns her skin.” Parallels with the “brownish stalks”. Plus, she only sees the stalks which “occlude her vision”, this term also emphasizing the brownish color of the stalks that blind Celia. This analogy reinforces Celia’s devotion to the harvest, as the narrator states when remarking “For two weeks, Celia consigns her body to the sugarcane”. The world “consign” contains in itself Celia’s intention of committing herself to this activity. This feeling infiltrates her very body when the narrator states that “[…] the stink of the sugarcane coats Celia’s nostrils and throat […]” (p.45), this metaphor underlines the strength of her promise.

In conclusion, this passage encapsulates Celia’s spirit towards the revolution and illustrates it through the way she focuses only on the new symbol of prosperity the sugarcane evokes. Therefore, this passage describes Celia’s point of view on the revolution. However, this extract also discusses the question of personal perception by isolating Celia’s thoughts which reveals the purpose of her actions that only the reader knows about. This literary procedure contrasts Celia’s intentions and the other field workers. Indeed, Celia represents the balance of her moral and her actions which confirms her sincerity.

Bibliography:

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

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.