Anna in the Tropics: Analysis of Major Characters
"Anna in the Tropics" is a poignant exploration of the lives of a Cuban-American family working in a cigar factory in 1929 Florida. The narrative centers around major characters, each embodying different responses to the changing cultural and economic landscape. Santiago, the aging factory owner, grapples with shame and loss of dignity after financial troubles, while his pragmatic wife, Ofelia, remains the backbone of their family business. Their daughter Conchita, yearning for romance and deeper connection, becomes captivated by the stories shared by Juan Julian, the lector, who reads "Anna Karenina" to the workers. This literary influence awakens Conchita's desires, leading to her affair with Juan Julian, which creates tension in her marriage with Palomo, a man more focused on finances than passion. Palomo's eventual realization of his wife's needs underscores the impact of literature on personal relationships. Meanwhile, Cheche, Santiago's half-brother, represents the push for modernization in a changing industry, advocating for machinery over tradition while dealing with his own personal vendettas. Marela, the youngest daughter, perceives the transformative power of stories, adding another dimension to the interplay between literature and life in the factory. This intricate web of relationships highlights themes of love, loss, and the quest for identity amidst the backdrop of progress and tradition.
Anna in the Tropics: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Nilo Cruz
First published: 2003
Genre: Play
Locale: Tampa, Florida
Plot: Historical fiction
Time: 1929
Santiago, cigar factory owner. In his late fifties, Santiago has become ashamed and bitter as he has aged. After losing a large sum of money in gambling, he feels he's lost more than just the money, namely his dignity and self-respect.
Ofelia, Santiago's wife. Ofelia is no-nonsense woman in her mid-fifties. This matriarch has a practical mind and runs the cigar business
Conchita, Santiago and Ofelia's daughter. The 32-year-old Conchita is a dreamer who longs for romance, but would welcome just a meaningful conversation with her husband, Palomo. She recognizes the power of literature in changing one's life, which leaves her vulnerable to the advances of Juan Julian, who has been reading Anna Karenina to the factory workers. Conchita identifies with Anna's longing for passion in her life, and recognizes the parallels between Anna's marriage and her own.
Palomo, Conchita's husband. While his wife focuses on the romance in Anna Karenina, the 41-year-old Palomo can only see the money in the characters' lives. He laughs at his wife's romantic fantasies about “places made of dreams,” until she takes Juan Julian as a lover. He sees how she has come alive, and asks her to teach him passion, and how to appreciate her.
Cheche (Chester), Santiago's half-brother. In his early 40s, Cheche is all business, especially since his wife ran away with their last lector (storyteller-reader). He understands how machinery is taking hold in the cigar industry, and tries to educate Santiago and Ofelia about progress. He proposes that they spend their money on new machinery rather than on a lector. Cheche has noticed that people's lives are spinning faster and faster, with cars and industry, and that cigarettes are cutting into the cigar market because they are smoked quickly. No one takes the time anymore to savor a cigar, whichismeanttobesmokedslowly.
Marela, Santiago and Ofelia's daughter. Marela is very young at 22. Still, she recognizes the power that literature can have on one's life. She feels that the lector's stories offer a valuable education. She is attacked by her uncle, whom she spurns.
Juan Julian, a lector. Part of an old tradition, Juan Julian was hired to entertain the workers through their monotonous task of rolling cigars. He is a well dressed, knowledgeable, 38 years old, and has selected the novel Anna Karenina, which has an unforeseen consequences the lives of the cigar family. He has an affair with Conchita. Later, Cheche murders Juan Julian for the tumult he has brought, and as revenge for the lector who ran away with Cheche's wife, Mildred.
Eliade, a gamer who runs cockfights and their associated gambling.