City of God by Gil Cuadros
"City of God" by Gil Cuadros is a poignant exploration of the complexities of a gay Latino experience, woven through the author's personal memories and reflections. The work is divided into two parts: the first consists of short narratives that depict the protagonist's childhood in a working-class Mexican family, facing the challenges of growing up with gay tendencies in a society that values traditional masculinity. These stories highlight the protagonist's initial encounters with sexual identity amidst familial disapproval and societal expectations. The second part takes the form of poetry, offering a reflective lens on the main character's adult life, including his struggles with HIV, the death of a partner, and the impact of racism within the gay community. Notably, Cuadros addresses significant themes such as sexual desire, the complexity of coming out, and the realities of living with AIDS, challenging cultural taboos and providing a rare insight into Latino gay life. Through this work, Cuadros not only narrates personal struggles but also amplifies the voices of Latino gay men, ultimately presenting a narrative that emphasizes resilience, self-examination, and the urgent confrontation with mortality.
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Subject Terms
City of God by Gil Cuadros
First published: 1994
The Work
Gil Cuadros’ City of God reveals to readers a gay’s life from a twofold perspective. The narrative center draws heavily from Cuadros’ memories as a Latino child with gay tendencies. Cuadros’ family was working class, his parents Mexican. City of God consists of two distinct parts. The first part uses short narrative, the second, poetry. This choice is significant. The short stories re-create Cuadros’ childhood world. Their main characters are children who are expected to display a strong masculine behavior, but these children are sensitive individuals who are struggling with their first gay experiences. Following the traditional pattern of a diary, the narration focuses on sexual incidents as centers of the action, which, in turn, serve as material for the second part.
Sexual desire is a main theme and cohesive leitmotif of these stories. The main character confronts physical changes at the beginning of his teenage years and his discovery of sexual pleasure. As an adult, besides dealing with his family’s disapproval of his gay lifestyle, he must struggle against the racist attitude of a predominantly white gay community that views him as a sexual object. In addition, he must deal with the imminent death of his white gay lover and his own HIV-positive status. Of particular interest is the main character’s coming out to his family at age twenty-three, disclosing to them that he has a white lover. This stand clashes with the traditional Hispanic treatment of gay life, which, as reflected in another short story, is to cover it up with a marriage.
The poetic second part continues Cuadros’ adult recall of the most memorable events in his gay life. This section contains a remarkable view of life with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which serves as catalyst for self-analysis by means of specific recurrent themes (the strong father figure and gay sexual practices). Through the protagonist’s anguish, the reader faces starkly the immediacy of death and the necessity of preparing for it at the peak of one’s life.
Cuadros’ work fulfills several purposes. It introduces into Latino literature taboo issues such as the painful recognition of being gay and frank descriptions of gay sexual acts. Cuadros’ major contribution, however, is his open treatment of AIDS in a positive light. His characters are normal Latino gay men who are forced to examine their lives as they fight their survival.
Bibliography
Publishers Weekly. Review of City of God, by Gil Cuadros. 241, no. 44 (October 31, 1994): 59.
Tavis, Thomas. Review of City of God, by Gil Cuadros. Library Journal 119, no. 18 (November 1, 1994): 80.