Lindsay’s Blog

Another character in this novel that I have come to enjoy is Clara. She is a very important person in this novel because she is the one who holds her family together; she is strong, spiritual, loving, and peaceful. She is a character who I was able to figure out easily because as she was growing up, her personality never really changed, and that is probably the main reason why I like her the most. Also, when she is hit by Esteban, she stands up for herself and does not speak to him anymore. However, she knew that it was in her destiny to be with him, so she stayed with him until the end. I admire her, and this is why I have come to like her the best!

-just some food for thought

I can’t help but feel sorry for Blanca in this novel. Personally, I am not very familiar with this culture, but I know that I would never want to go through some of this things that she has, even if it is the “norm”. She first fell in love with Pedro when she met him.. and that’s great, but then she was forced to marry Jean. If that’s not enough, she then leaves jean to go have Pedro’s baby. So she is now raising her baby, not with her husband, and doesn’t yet want to run away with the father of her baby because of other issues going on in their society. Too complicated for me!

Throughout the novel, I think the significance of the stories is that they show how important they are to the Native American culture. I also think that Tayo might feel that he is somehow connected to his family and heritage because of how some of the stories are told. As he is growing up and changing, he is getting closer and closer to his ceremony, and these stories in the novel show the journey through his progression in his community and his transformation to becoming more like the people he is surrounded with.