"Peel My Love Like an Onion"

Paper Summary:

In the novel, "Peel My Love Like an Onion" by Ana Castillo, the author addresses a number of issues related to immigration and the position of minorities in American life. In addition, she addresses issues of loss and separation from both people and other aspects of life. The paper shows that the love referred to in the title is both the love the protagonist has had for the two men in her life and also the love she once had for her chosen profession of Flamenco dancer, a love lost because of her polio and its crippling effects. The paper shows how she, in fact, becomes separated from everything she values in life, suggesting much about those in society who are cast aside for any reason and who then live desperate lives simply trying to survive.

From the Paper:

"There is a great difference between the working conditions Carmen experiences as a dancer and those she encounters in a series of smaller jobs she has to take later in order to survive, but there are similarities a well. There is a metaphor of servitude that runs through the novel, whether it be servitude to a demanding teacher like Agustin or to the system itself as she tries to survive in low-paid jobs in a society that places little value on people from Mexico, little value on women, and little value on those who have to do these low-paid and dead-end jobs that society may need but never really values."

More papers on "Peel My Love Like an Onion":

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