As always, you can write your Caramelo response paper on whatever topic you want, but here are a few ideas to help you get started if you're having trouble coming up with a focus.
- In what ways might this novel be considered a “rebozo”? In what way is Celaya contining the lost family tradition in telling this particular story as she tells it?
- Evaluate Caramelo as a coming-of-age story. Does Celaya come of age? In what sense?
- Look at Caramelo through the lens of gender and/or race? What does this novel illuminate about gender roles in different cultures and eras, and/or about the racial/cultural realities and complexities?
- There are a number of names in Caramelo that might be considered significant. How do the names of various characters affect how we see or understand them? Are there any ways that Celaya's name and/or her various nicknames seem important to you?
- Given what we’ve seen in the book, imagine Candelaria’s life at the time of the anniversary party. How old is she, where is she, what is she doing, and what is she like?
- After her father disappoints Celaya by telling her the wrong "secret" in the anniversary party chapter, she muses that "maybe it's okay" that there are so many apologies unspoken in her family, and so many conflicts unresolved (p. 428). In what sense is it "okay," and/or are there ways in which it's not?
Another idea: Do you think that after Celaya retells the Awful Grandmother's story, as she requests of her, Zoila will forgive her (Soledad)? Will Soledad be able to get out of the in-between life and death that she was stuck in? How might Inocencio help his wife forgive his mother?
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to compare the stories of the women in Celaya's extended family, especially in light of new details in the last few chapters. Does Innocencio's "wrong secret" and relationship to Candelaria, which reveal cracks in his perfect image, align Zoila's path with her in-laws'? What about Celaya with Ernesto?
ReplyDeleteI really liked seeing the idea of a "healthy lie" throughout the book. What were some of the healthy lies we saw, and which ones were the most significant? Is there such a thing as a healthy lie? Could the same lie be "healthy" or bad depending on the situation? Do you think people of Chicano background or other cultures are more prone to tell lies?
ReplyDeleteIn what ways is "Caramelo" a fitting name for the novel? What evidence in the book have we seen the title come up and how are those scenes significant? If you could change it, what would you change the name to and why?
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the title topic, Claire. Good idea. All of these ideas are good. Anna, the "healthy lie" idea is a great one (though regarding the last sub-question you pose, I'd caution readers against making generalizations about any culture based on one book).
ReplyDeleteYou could talk about the differences in the way Celaya and the rest of her family interacts based on their current geographical and financial status, considering both of those change throughout the book. How do Zoila and Inocencio and AG at differently based on the country/culture they're immersed in?
ReplyDeleteI really liked just learning about the general cultures portrayed in the book (Mexican culture, the American/Mexican culture Celaya grows up with, etc). You could do a compare and contrast paper about different cultures. How is the culture Celaya grows up with different than her father's? How is it different than the Awful Grandmother's? Are there any similarities between the cultures?
ReplyDeleteIn the book, we see Celaya as a very family-oriented individual. We only get a few chapters regarding her school/love life, and even those don't really last. Do you think this trend is specific to Native American/Chicano culture? Have you read any other books in this genre that reflect this idea too?
ReplyDeleteCaramelo is a coming-of-age novel, showing the maturity of Celaya throughout the book. In what ways do you see specific events in her life affect her personality? What are the changes made from a young age to the end of the book?
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