A Woman's Versatility

If there is one common thing I've found among the three books that I have read this marking period, it is the emphasis on women. Both In The Time Of The Butterflies and Herland focus on the inner strength of a woman. Julia Alvarez's In The Time Of The Butterflies depicts the struggle the Mirabel sisters endured as they fought against the oppressive Trujillo dictatorship. I found this novel to be very inspiring, even more so because of that fact that it is based on a true story and that such sacrifices and hardships really did occur. Similarly, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Herland praised the abilities and acheivements women are able to attain, even in the absence of the "almighty men." While this novel may have been a bit too fantastical for me, I enjoyed the fact that it made me realize that women are capable of doing so much more than they are given credit for, even running an entire civilized society by themselves! Herland proves that women are just as capable of men and that if they had to step up to the plate, all they have to do is find the strength necessary that they all hold within. Once again, an inspring novel that sparks interesting thoughts and endless possibilities. Last but not least, Like Water For Chocolate. I am about midway into the novel and am enjoying it thus far. Rather than strength of women, I would say that this book focuses more so on the complex emotions and events of a woman's life. Author Laura Esquivel really digs deep into the complexities of women and how their emotions take an intense toll on their entire beings. "The weeping was just the first symptom of a strange intoxication—and acute attack of pain and frustration—that seized the guests and scattered them across the patio and the grounds and in the bathrooms, all of them wailing over lost love” ( Esquivel 39). The story is told very dramatically and definitely exercises the imagination; for example, at one point Tita finds her tears dripping into the batter she is preparing and then as the guests digest the finish product, they are instantaneously burdened with the very same emotions that Tita had felt while making it. Overall, I think I have learned a lot from this marking period's assignments because I have glanced not only into the versatility of women but also other cultures, heritages, time periods, and societies.

Eat Your Heart Out

I'm finally onto a new book, Like Water For Chocolate, and only one chapter in I could tell that I will be able to relate to it. The household of Tita and the rest of the De La Garza family basically revolves around food because it is such a big part of their culture. It is most definitely the laaarge percentage of Italian in me and my family, for food and dining is a major part of our lives as well. Unlike some families, it is anything but unusual for my family to sit down together for dinner. We try to either sit down or go out together as often as possible because it is finally a time where everyone can unwind, relax, and be stress-free. Throughout my life I have seen and heard of the true Italian blood running through the family. My dad and his family used to go to my great-grandma's house every Sunday for "dinner" at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon! And we even do it now every so often at my grandma and grandpa's house, just not habitually.
I love cooking with and learning from my dad because it is a chance to bond over something that has been passed down over the generations, such as that "secret" recipe of the dish that you have always wondered how it tasted so good. In my family, Tita's, and millions of others in the world, food serves as a comfort; it is the connection between families, a cooking experience, a collection of centuries-old yellowed and stained recipes, a candle-lit dinner oozing with romance and good conversation, a picnic on a clear, sunny day, a celebration with special friends and family. In many ways, food is the basis of much of our lives. Not only do we need it to survive, but it is a part of actually living and enjoying. The De La Garza expresses the importance of food and how no matter what curveballs life throws, there will always be something, perhaps even a "Christmas Roll" to make it all a little better as it always seems to do for Tita.

CHRISTMAS ROLLS
Source: Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel

1 can sardines
1/2 chorizo sausage
1 onion
oregano
1 can chiles serranos
10 hard rolls

Chop onions fine. Fry the sausage over low heat so that it cooks thoroughly without getting too brown. When done, remove from heat and add the sardines, which have been deboned ahead of time. Any black spots on the skins must be scraped off with a knife. Combine the onions, chopped chiles and the ground oregano with the sardines. Let the mixture stand before filling the hard rolls.


More recipes from Like Water For Chocolate..

Time To Move On

Herland has finally come to a close and while I did enjoy it, I'm eager to begin something new. I feel as if the theme, even in a mere 120 pages, has grown a bit tedious. I have chosen to use this post to talk about the author, as opposed to the book itself which I believe has been done to death. At this point, it is 100% clear that Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a thoroughbred feminist. I agree with many of her views and I like the fact that she does not write her work in a way that preaches "this is how it has to be and everything else is wrong." Instead, she writes with a tasteful air of possibilty, which is one of the main reasons why I actually liked Herland. She proved that a female-only society is possible and it CAN function just as well as one can with men involved. Gilman was way ahead of her time and will always be remembered for her societal views and works.
While researching for my paper, I learned a lot about the feminist author. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1860 and interestingly enough is the niece of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the famous Uncle Tom's Cabin, who she most definitely inherited some of her feminist views from. Throughout her career, Gilman has written multiple poems, 186 published short stories in magazines, newspapers, and journals, numerous novels and dramas, and over one thousand non-fiction works including articles, essays, book reviews, and lectures. It is easy to tell that Charlotte Perkins Gilman has achieved an unbelievable amount during her lifetime; as a female, I value her work and the ways in which she gives a voice to her fellow women. This voice has lingered on and will continue to do so as time goes by. The following are quotes that were said by Gilman at one time or another that I think are really important messages to consider. :)

"There is no female mind. The brain is not an organ of sex. Might as well speak of a female liver."

"But reason has no power against feeling, and feeling older than history is no light matter."

"To be surrounded by beautiful things has much influence upon the human creature: to make beautiful things has more."

"There should be an end to the bitterness of feeling which has arisen between the sexes in this century."

"Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It is going on all the time."


More quotes by Charlotte Perkins Gilman..

What If Herland Was Our Land?

As I continue reading Herland, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to really be a part of such a civilization. Charlotte Perkins Gilman's novel was published in 1915; she uses it to challenge the workings of society during that time. Today, it is not unusual for women to lead busy, successful, powerful, and important lives. One of the candidates for the next President of the United States is a woman, need I say more? Back then, however, situations like this were ultimately unheard of; women were only of importance when it came to the domestic tasks they are assumed to perform, such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, giving labor, and basically being nothing more than a housewife. While looking at the differences between the past and the present, I see how ahead of her time Gilman was by writing Herland. She truly did step out of the boundaries of the early 1900's and shed light on a concept that was foreign to society as a whole. In a way, it is safe to say that her science-fictional "dream" came true; although a civilization with strictly women does not exist, they do possess the power and strength that she infused her characters with. I do not think I would want to be a part of a "feminist utopia" where only women existed; however, I like the inspiring idea that it IS possible. Gilman's novel successfully radiates feminism, equality, and the controversial idea that women are simply not inferior to men, contrary to what society teaches us. As Charlotte Perkins Gilman once said, "Women are human beings as much as men, by nature; and as women, are even more sympathetic with human processes. To develop human life in its true powers we need fully equal citizenship for women."