Becky and Her Friends by Rolando Hinojosa
"Becky and Her Friends" by Rolando Hinojosa explores the complexities of personal identity and social dynamics within a community following the abrupt end of Becky Escobar's marriage to Ira. The narrative centers on Becky’s unexpected decision to leave her husband and the subsequent reactions from twenty-six townspeople, including family members and community acquaintances. This multifaceted portrayal allows readers to witness varying perspectives on Becky's choice, particularly through the lens of her uncle, Lionel Villa, and other characters who offer contrasting viewpoints, highlighting the communal impact of personal decisions.
The story situates Becky as a figure of empowerment, reflecting broader themes of feminism and the evolving role of women in society. Her journey of self-discovery is marked by her decision to reclaim her cultural heritage by learning Spanish after leaving her husband. Additionally, the narrative underscores the transformation of community perceptions regarding gender roles and relationships, suggesting that Becky's actions symbolize a shift away from traditional norms. The novel ultimately presents a rich tapestry of personal and social commentary that invites readers to explore the implications of Becky’s choices on her life and the community of Klail City.
Becky and Her Friends by Rolando Hinojosa
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1990
Type of work: Novel
The Work
One day, completely out of the blue, Becky Escobar tells her husband, Ira, that she has decided he is not going to live with her and their children any longer. A similar event occurred in Hinojosa’s life in 1988, when Patti, his wife of twenty-five years, unexpectedly filed for divorce and left for California, taking their daughter, Clarissa, with her.
Becky is extremely calculating in ending her marriage so abruptly. She has a moving company pack Ira’s belongings, which are out of the house by the time he returns home from his job as a county commissioner. What follows are the reactions of twenty-six townspeople (including both Ira and Becky) to the end of a marriage that was generally considered stable.
As in all of Hinojosa’s novels, the cast of characters is familiar. Readers of the whole series have met most of them before and will certainly have formed opinions about them, although some of the characters change significantly from book to book.
The author involves himself in the narrative immediately in the first section, “Lionel Villa,” where he begins by saying, “Let’s drop in on Lionel Villa and hear what he has to say regarding Rebecca—alias Becky—Escobar.” This informality persists in most of the twenty-six sections that follow.
Lionel is Becky’s uncle and is probably, therefore, a biased witness. His testimony, however, is counterbalanced by that of such a broad collection of other townsfolk that any bias he may have hardly matters. In the end, it seems inevitable that the truth will out.
Becky, in a real sense, is a feminist heroine, a product of a decade in which women have rejected their subservient roles and have struck out on their own. The comments that the townspeople make about Becky’s decision to leave Ira reach far beyond the separation of two people, suggesting clearly that the changing role of women will inevitably lead to a new way of viewing the social structure of communities such as Klail City.
Eighteen months after leaving Ira, Becky marries Jehú Malacara, now a prominent bank official. They move, with Becky’s children, from Klail City. Becky, who during her marriage to Ira had belonged to the accepted civic organizations in Klail City, had been brought up bilingually. As her social status had improved, she had lost her Spanish and had spoken only in English.
With her split from Ira, however, Becky abandons her clubs and takes lessons to regain her Spanish. In doing so, she recaptures her heritage. Becky obviously is struggling to redefine herself and to establish an identity based not upon her husband’s position but upon her own.
Bibliography
Calderón, Héctor. “On the Uses of Chronicle, Biography, and Sketches in Rolando Hinojosa’s Generaciones y semblanzas.” In The Rolando Hinojosa Reader: Essays Historical and Critical, edited by José David Saldívar. Houston: Arte Público Press, 1985.
Hinojosa, Rolando. “Our Southwest: An Interview with Rolando Hinojosa.” Interview by José David Saldívar. In The Rolando Hinojosa Reader: Essays Critical and Historical, edited by Saldívar. Houston: Arte Público Press, 1985.
Lee, Joyce Glover. Rolando Hinojosa and the American Dream. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 1999.
Saldívar, José David. “Rolando Hinojosa’s Klail City Death Trip: A Critical Introduction.” In The Rolando Hinojosa Reader: Essays Historical and Critical, edited by Saldívar. Houston: Arte Público Press, 1985.
Saldívar, Ramón. “Korean Love Songs: A Border Ballad and Its Heroes.” In The Rolando Hinojosa Reader: Essays Historical and Critical, edited by José David Saldívar. Houston: Arte Público Press, 1985.
Zilles, Klaus. Rolando Hinojosa: Reader’s Guide. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001.