Dorothea Dreams by Suzy McKee Charnas
"Dorothea Dreams" is a narrative that explores the transformation of Dorothea Howard, an artist living near Taos, New Mexico, who undergoes a significant personal evolution. Initially isolated and fixated on an enormous collage of found objects, Dorothea's life takes a dramatic turn when she becomes a hostage along with her friend Ricky Maulders, who is battling cancer. The hostage situation is instigated by Roberto Cantu, a Chicano teenager determined to protect his neighborhood from real estate developers. Throughout this crisis, Dorothea grapples with haunting dreams involving a ghost from the French Revolution, symbolizing her internal struggle with political engagement.
As the story unfolds, Dorothea learns to confront her fears and recognize the ghost as a part of her past self, ultimately leading to her decision to become actively involved in the community's struggles. The narrative intertwines themes of art, personal connections, and social justice, culminating in Dorothea's choice to advocate for the Cantus family while accepting the damage done to her artwork as a catalyst for growth. The story addresses profound issues of identity, cultural heritage, and the complexities of political involvement, making it a poignant exploration of the human experience.
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Dorothea Dreams
First published: 1986
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—feminist
Time of work: The 1980’s
Locale: Taos and Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Plot
Dorothea Dreams tells the story of Dorothea Howard’s progress from seclusion and obsession with her work to a return to public and political involvement. The change occurs after young Chicanos hold her hostage. She sympathizes with their effort to save their neighborhood. Her friend Ricky Maulders and a ghost from the time of the French Revolution help her respond to the crisis.
A well-known artist, Dorothea lives near Taos, New Mexico, and is obsessed by an enormous collage of found objects she has spent several years creating on a cliff wall. The first person to see this work is Ricky, a friend who is dying of cancer and asks to stay with her for a while. Like the viewers to follow, he is enchanted by this artwork; he believes it was the beacon that drew him to Dorothea. Ricky and Dorothea’s friendship blossoms into a love affair, and Ricky helps Dorothea to analyze the frightening dreams she has been having in which she sees an angry mob and speaks aloud in French, a language she does not know well. After she writes a long letter in her sleep in French and in someone else’s handwriting, they determine that a ghost from the time of the French Revolution is haunting her in her sleep. The ghost had been active in bringing about the revolution but rejected political involvement later in life. He believes Dorothea is his son, whom he wishes to persuade against risking his own safety through radical politics.
Meanwhile, Roberto Cantu, a Chicano teenager, works to save Pinto Street in Albuquerque from unscrupulous real estate developers who try to trick residents into selling their homes. After the police, mistakenly believing that a riot is in progress, open fire at a wedding reception, Roberto becomes a fugitive. Planning to flee to Canada, he and his sister Blanca escape Albuquerque by joining their cousin Robbie’s art class on a field trip to Dorothea’s house.
On the way to Taos, Roberto takes the class hostage. Once the group arrives, Dorothea and Ricky likewise become hostages. During the ordeal, Roberto shoots Dorothea’s dog, discovers her artwork and damages it, and breaks several of her ribs. Dorothea finally recognizes the ghost in her dreams as a former self. She does not want to repeat his refusal to become involved and decides to help the Cantus. She persuades them to surrender peacefully and then tries to convince the authorities not to punish them harshly.
Because of Roberto’s damage to her artwork, Doro-thea is able to move beyond her obsession with it and show it at last. Ricky, believing he has done what he was called to Taos to do, leaves to take care of other unfinished business before his death.