How the García Girls Lost Their Accents: Analysis of Major Characters
"How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" explores the lives of the García sisters, who navigate the complexities of identity and cultural transition after fleeing the Dominican Republic due to their father's involvement in a political coup. The patriarch, Carlos García (Papi), embodies traditional Hispanic values and maintains a strong influence over his daughters, while their mother, Laura (Mami), strives to adapt to life in America and often acts as the family's mediator. Each sister faces unique challenges: Carla, the eldest, grapples with homesickness and acts as the family therapist; Sandra, the artistic second sister, battles societal pressures and addiction; Yolanda (Yoyo), the introspective third sister, finds solace in language and poetry amidst her struggles with identity; and Sofia (Fifi), the rebellious youngest, seeks freedom and experiences tumultuous relationships.
The narrative also introduces Chucha, the family’s servant, who represents the struggles of race and class in the Dominican Republic. Through their journeys, the García girls contend with the expectations of both their cultural heritage and their new environment, reflecting broader themes of assimilation, family dynamics, and the quest for self-identity. This rich character tapestry highlights the individual and collective experiences of immigrants, illustrating their resilience in the face of displacement and change.
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Julia Alvarez
First published: 1991
Genre: Novel
Locale: The Dominican Republic and the United States
Plot: Family
Time: The 1950's to the 1980's
Carlos García, or Papi, the overprotective Old World patriarch whose part in a failed coup against dictator Rafael Trujillo sends the family into exile. With the help of an intelligence agent and Dr. Fanning, an American colleague, he is able to set up his medical practice in New York City, providing a good life for his wife (Mami) and his four beloved daughters. The youngest of his father's thirty-five children, he is rooted in the old Hispanic heritage and keeps strong control over his family. He establishes the tradition of celebrating his birthday at his house, with the daughters coming without their men. Even as adults, his daughters play the role of the father's little girls.
Laura García, or Mami, the energetic mother of the four girls. She is the most comfortable in the exile life because she had studied in America. Her knowledge of English and lack of a heavy accent, along with her temperament, make her the leader of and mediator for the family in the new land. She is ambitious and takes courses that may lead to a successful career. The girls resent her activities, which keep her away from their needs. She calls them each by the generic pet name “Cuquita.” Once settled in the United States, she refuses to go back to the island, where she would be considered to be a house slave, oppressed by a society that expects women to have sons. As a good “Mami,” she is always giving advice, constantly telling the girls to guard their virginity and avoid drugs. She rears them in an American style but expects them to live by Hispanic cultural values.
Carla García, the oldest sister, who remembers Christmas in the native country, with decorations, many activities, and toys brought from New York City by the father. She also thinks of Victor Hubbard, the American consul who prepared the upper class for revolution, and the turmoil of the last day on the island, when the secret police stormed into the house looking for Carlos. She resents the celebration of the first year in exile without understanding her parents' ease in sinking roots. She feels homesick and prays to go back. When the family moves from the city to Long Island, she faces discriminatory treatment by a group of boys and confronts a sexual offender. She grows up to become a psychologist and marries one. Always ready to understand others, she is the family therapist.
Sandra García, the second sister, the pretty one. As a child, she exhibits artistic talent and wants to express herself with paintings. In New York City, she hears a woman in her apartment house trying to get the family evicted because of its language, food, and music. At a Spanish restaurant, Sandra sees people paying for the food and music criticized earlier. She wants to be a model as a means of being accepted in the new culture. In order to keep her weight down, she uses drugs that cause addiction and a mental breakdown.
Yolanda (Yoyo) García, the third of the sisters. She learns ghostly tales from Haitian maids as a child, plays with her male cousins, and wanders around restricted places. She remains curious all of her life. Memories of raids by police, violence, and disappearances of uncles stay with her and keep her awake at night. In New York City, she is the only immigrant in her class and is seated apart from the other children as she is tutored in English. Seeking refuge in books and language, she becomes a good student and is chosen in the ninth grade to give a speech. She discovers the power of words and creates poems, eventually becoming a poet and teacher. After suffering from failed relationships and emotional turmoil, she hopes to find her identity in her country of birth, but she is too independent to settle there, in a family compound with guarded walls and a patriarchal society.
Sofia (Fifi) García, the youngest in the family. She competes with the others to be the wildest. When she is sent to the island to reform her American ways, she falls in love with a cousin who dominates her. She leaves college and runs away with another boyfriend, then finally marries a German chemist. Her father forgives her only when she gives him a grandson.
Chucha, the servant of the family in the Dominican Republic. She came to the grandfather's house to escape from a death decreed for all black Haitians by the dictator Rafael Trujillo. She is disliked by other maids because of her race. Devoted to voodoo, she sleeps in a coffin. When the family leaves, she remains to take care of the house. She worries about the Garcías but is certain that they will know how to invent strategies for survival.