My question concerns all parts of the book. It deals with the great grandmother and grandfather, the mother and father, and the children. How are the different generations of Reyeses similar or different(in their romantic relationships, attitudes, etc.)?
For differences, the oldest generation gets the most respect. Everyone listens to what the Awful Grandmother, whether what she says is appropriate or not. They know they can't get upset, or she'll just yell at them even more. However, when Lala says something that's uncalled for, people get mad at her. Like when she says she and her mom went out for lunch, her mom gets mad at her and so does everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Karen's comment. Even when the Awful Grandmother and the mother have their big fight in Acapulco, the mother doesn't directly fight with the grandmother. They argue by both fighting through Inocencio.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I noticed in common was that neither Narciso's nor Inocencio's mothers like their wives. Narciso's mother doesn't like Soledad because Soledad is their housekeeper and isn't of a high class. Inocencio's mother, Soledad, doesn't like Zoila because she says she is too dark skinned and because Soledad doesn't want her mijo taken away from her. This is ironic because Soledad is Indian and also because one would think she would have empathy for Zoila.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. Soledad just seems like a crank. She is able to find fault in everything and anything and loves to critize. And another difference is that the youngest generation seems to be the closest. Even though the kids bother each other sometimes, they all do stuff together. Like when they sneak into the grandparents' room. But all of their parents are not very close. In fact, they can't even all live in the same house for a summer.
ReplyDeleteA difference between Zoila and Soledad is that Zoila is much more confrontational than Soledad. Zoila confronts Inocencio when she is mad about the way Soledad is treating her. Soledad on the other hand, chooses not to confront Narciso, even when she knows he is cheating on her.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is another similarity. There is strain in both Soledad's and Zoila's marriages. Soledad's husband is cheating on her, and Zoila's mother-in-law strongly dislikes her, and makes her dislike well known.
ReplyDeleteAnother similarity: The three brothers and their kids are all different. Well, I didn't phrase that very well, but let me explain. The three brothers all have very different life styles. Inocencio lives in a jumbled house with random furniture that doesn't match. One of his brothers lives in house that is very pristine and there are many rules to keep it clean. The kids are also different. Some of the kids are more adventurous and some have to follow all of the rules, like Antioneta.
ReplyDelete