Elme Delapaz Diary

One of the major themes presented in the story is the difference between reality and imagination. Mrs. Dover sees and hears various noises and objects, yet it is unknown if what she is experiencing is all in her mind or truly happening. She physically sees and touches the letter, but her, “Association of the letter with the soldier-lover makes the reality of the letter questionable, although it is a physical object” (“The Demon Lover”).

non-fiction. From her wide array of published works this critical analysis will be focused on her

In her essay "Memory and Retelling: The Role of Women in La Casa de Los Espíritus", Susan Frick clarifies Alba’s unique narrative style. She asserts that in Alba’s woman-centered form of narration, she is "tapping into collective memory to evoke and interpret the stories and voices of the past and to learn how best to proceed with her own individual life experience" (Frick 29). Clara, Alba's grandmother, was already in the habit of documenting significant events and afterward, when she was voiceless on purpose, she also detailed insignificances, never suspecting that fifty years later, Alba, her granddaughter, would use her notebooks to regain the past and overcome fears. She struggles, with her grandmother’s diaries, her mother’s letters, and many other family documents, to assemble the family’s story in a way that joins events instead of just recording them. According to Alba and her female relatives, direct history is not the only way to record events, and Alba’s conscious narration of the Trueba family is a more incorporating approach to life and

Countless works of literature have sentimentalized the house as a space of sanctuary; however, in time the house came to incorporate the mysterious also, as haunted houses allowed the supernatural to dwell alongside the living. Fictional narratives have long since utilized the house as a venue for character and situation to develop, dispersing opportunities for authors to bring symbolism and metaphor to their works. Julio Cortázar drew upon the house setting in his short stories “Bestiary” and “House Taken Over”, not just as a venue for his tales to play out, but as places that echoed the themes, character, and structure for the unusual could enter and abide. Cortázar’s treatment of the bizarre as a part of the natural family life of the house,

Tonight, Isabelle’s creature comforts afforded her no relief. Even the sleeping and naked form of Emily – the waif she took as her doll earlier this evening – could not occupy her. There would be no reprieve from her troubled thoughts tonight. She reclined now in her chair, the flames from the fireplace casting shadows on her brooding face. In her hands, she held her old journal, a piece of history stolen from her but retrieved earlier by Emily. Though the nature of its contents would risk a breach in Dogma law if leaked, the perpetrator of its theft worried her more. Thus she decided that burning her journal was now the best course of action.

This short story was quite interesting to me. I wondered what was happening many times. One thing I learned about the human condition while reading this was that love can change you. Emily was hurt when this man didn’t want to be with her anymore, and she wasn’t sure how to cope with hurting. Emily decided to kill this man. I believe she didn’t know how else to keep him in her life. “I want some poison.” She said to the druggist. (pg. 43) This woman was extremely adamant about getting the poison. We soon learn that she killed Homer Barron, and slept with his body for over 30 years. Emily’s father left her, and she felt that she could not cope with another man leaving her. The story finally made sense to me. She was so sad for so long. I don’t

Not only did she write her diary but she also wrote many other fictional stories. Although she did not write everyday, most days consisted of the same information. She would get up around 4 a.m., go down to get buckets of water. She would then come back send the kids off to school, and then go out to collect paper. Sometimes she got lucky and collected a lot of paper and other times she got none, which meant no food for that night. Usually she would mention what fight happened in the village and described the way so many people in the fevela drank until they were drunk all day.

The murder of the Maribal sisters has given the world an inside view on the lives of the sisters. Trujillo‘s evil dictatorship impacted the lives of the dominican people and left a scar on their hearts forever. Since the assassination of Trujillo, the sisters have been recognized through their poems, letters, and books. Larry Rohter, author, explained in a 1997 New York Times article that “the sisters were known in their days as members of the anti-Trujillo underground, into symbols of both popular and feminist resistance.” This explains the power and freedom the sisters were able to achieve for themselves and for the Dominican society. The sisters fought for freedom continuously and were able to defeat a dictator with their power of

Entering the fourth quarter 27th seeded Somers trailed 19th seeded Bloomfield by 18 points in the CIASC Class S girl’s basketball quarterfinal. Somers junior guard Emily Plagenza, who already hit a game winning buzzer beater to upset 6th seeded Old Lyme in the first round followed by a 20 point game in a second round win, was not going down without a fight. Plagenza put Somers on her back scoring 16 fourth quarter points to bring her team within one possession of advancing to the semi-finals. Somers wound up losing that game 64-61 but it is the toughness and determination that Plagenza displayed that would lead her into a career in sport.

It showed the narrators attempt to have normalcy and sanity during the time of being locked away. Her husband banned her from spending anytime doing anything active, but to her it’s a way to release her mind. When the women is caught writing in her notebook she has it taken away, but soon finds a way to sneak behind her husband’s back and secretly write. Too many people, writing can be therapeutic in which it allows them to ease feelings of emotional pain. During the time in 1892, women kept their thoughts to themselves, afraid that if they allowed someone else to know, that they would face “social discrimination”. When the notebook was taken away from the women, this made her have to tuck away her thoughts and it eventually led to

Looking around the cabin she decided that if she had the room, she would take the table with her when she left; it was just the right size to fit her family’s needs, perfectly. Behind the kitchen was a back room; a curtained, doorway separated it from the rest of the cabin. She knew before she even opened the curtain, that death had visited this place.

"A dollhouse," Leo recited, after a winding autumn breeze. Her voice was flat and quiet, still trapped in the memory. "I loved it very much." Like usual, Benson pressed her for details, but the woman was as deep in her memories as she was willing to go. Any further was dangerous. In fact, apparently, this far was dangerous, and she wasn't even ankle deep.

Julia Alvarez is a contemporary Dominican writer, whose work ranges from poetry, short stories, essays, and novels. Alvarez’s work touches upon issues of migration, history, stereotypes, empowerment of Latin women, and the differing ideology of American and Dominican culture. She provides a strong voice and perspective for Latin women, and teaches other ethnicities in America about Latin culture. She uses a variety of words and phrases in her native language Spanish, as well as Spanglish and English. In 1991, Alvarez published a novel, “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent.” The novel captures the struggle of four sisters who leave their home in the Dominican Republic and reside in the U.S. as refugees. Similarly, in 1994, Alvarez published another novel, “In the Time of the Butterflies.” The novel captures the hardships the Mirabel sisters succumb to. The Mirabel sisters found the underground movement in opposition to the dictator Trujillo. In 2000, Alvarez published another novel, “In the Name of Salome.” The novel captures the oppression of an older woman and her daughter. Many of Alvarez’s novels and poems resemble her life and the history of her beloved country, Dominican Republic.

Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz was an extremely radical activist for her time. She was known as the “Tenth Muse”, the “Phoenix of Mexico” (Harss pg.6) in many western parts of the world. As a child she grew up with very limited formal education and envied men who were privileged enough to receive primary education, and access to higher education. Sor Juana was a constant defendant of the rights of women, often coming off as inappropriate in her occupation as a nun, and women in the Spanish Empire, making her a threat to the man who was trying to gain power at the time (I deliberately left out his name due to the fact that I felt it would distract from the main person in this- Sor Juana.) Sor Juana was a diverse writer who often switched styles and genres of writing. However, she is well known for her poems that could, “inspire such tenebrous thoughts in the mind of the 20th-century reader.” (Harss pg.3). The scandalousness of her writings are said to be proof of her insanity, and results from the torturous tasks she would inflict upon herself, which were also encouraged by her confessor at the time in an attempt to, “moderate her zeal” (Harss pg.7).

Esperanza goes to the house of a “witch woman” named Elenita to have her fortune told. Esperanza goes to have her fortune told to see if there is a “house” in her future, but Elenita only sees a “home in the heart.” Esperanza is disappointed by her fortune because she does not understand it. She wants a new, real home of her own, one where she can live in serenity. Elenita, like Aunt Lupe, offers her the quickest and safest way to get a home for herself, “a home in the heart” – a sense of her character that would be safer than any physical house ever built. Esperanza's “home in her heart” would be self-constructed, loving, and inviolable, free and safe from sexual threats and criticism from others around her. Esperanza fails to realize this,