Book Analysis: Dreaming in Cuba by Cristina Garcia

In Christina Garcia's, Dreaming In Cuba, we read about three generations of a Cuban family torn apart by their environment. Political turmoil force the del Pino family to split and cause animosity amongst each other. It is centered on the complicated relationships and bonds between mother and daughter. Garcia expresses the story in a mixture of first and third person narration. This method paints a portrait to show the diverse mother-daughter relationship, allowing readers a multi-view perspective of not only bonds but also complications. The mothers of the story are portrayed to be the villains by their own daughters. We see this through three generations, Celia, her daughter Lourdes, and Lourdes daughter, Pilar. Interactions between mother and daughter headline the majority of the dialogue in Garcia's story. However, the fathers of the story are in the background and respected by their daughters. The story doesn't give too much insight on Lourdes father, Jorge or Pilar's father, Rufino. It's as if the most influential parents are despised, while the fathers are praised. Pilar, the protagonist, travels down a similar road her mother traveled. Pilar wants to be nothing like her mother. Political turmoil force Rufino, Lourdes, and Pilar to migrate to the United States in 1961, leaving Lourdes parents behind in Cuba. Pilar's search for herself, as she tries to come to terms with her position in regards to the Cuban Revolution, this will be the main reason of content with her mother. Pilar takes offense to her mother's patriotism. Pilar struggles with her own identity, which is why she can't accept her mother's love for America. Toward the end of the novel she embraces all that America has to offer by letting Ivanito go to America. In the beginning of the story, Pilar rejects her mother's patriotism. Pilar believes that her mother is "convinced she can fight communism from behind her bakery counter"(136), mocking her mother. Lourdes and Pilar are on opposite