Maria Amparo Escandon's "Santitos"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Maria Amparo Escandon's novel "Santitos"
tells the tale of Esperanza, a young woman who has suffered many tragedies in her life yet still manages to find hope and comfort in her unique brand of Christian faith. The paper points out that institutionalized religion is often portrayed as oppressive to female self-empowerment. However, in this novel, as opposed to this conventional representation of Catholic spirituality, the protagonist Esperanza's life illustrates that popular Catholicism is not necessarily misogynistic or male-dominated. The paper stresses that one of the most unique features of the role of religion in this novel is how sexuality and spirituality are openly linked.

Table of Contents:
Story Summary
The Role of Religion in "Santitos"--Analysis

From the Paper:

"To find her daughter, whom she believes has been abducted in the hospital and sold into prostitution, Esperanza herself must live amongst prostitutes and enter seedy locations, in the service of her daughter and also the service of the saints. Esperanza first looks for Blanca in a Tijuana then in California. She says that the saints are waiting for her in California--because of the many names of the cities that begin with "San." This reflects Esperanza's often simplistic and naive view of the world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Escandon, Maria Amparo. Santitos (Esperanza's Box of Saints). New York: Picador, 2001.

More papers on Maria Amparo Escandon's "Santitos":

• Essay # 84074 : "Dr. Maria Montessori"
• Essay # 3298 : "The Character of Maria in "Clay" by James Joyce"
• Research Paper # 3140 : "Maria Luisa Bemberg"

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