Caramelo

In Caramelo, Cisneros investigates both problematic and empowering gendered behavior, from marianismo/machismo dynamics to positive masculine and feminine communication.

On the problematic side, Cisneros illustrates a pattern in Mexican families whereby Mexican mothers coddle a favorite son (as per Regina’s treatment of Narciso and Soledad’s treatment of Inocencio) and mistreat the woman around them (as per Regina’s mistreatment of Soledad and Soledad’s mistreatment of Aunty Light-Skin and Zoila). This problematic dynamic is largely enabled by Narciso and Inocencio’s own deification of their mothers to the degree that they ignore less-than-ideal qualities. Cisneros also illustrates the problematic ideology espoused by Narciso’s generation: that a man should be feo, fuerte, y formal. This philosophy serves as the reasoning for hurtful “toughening up” of young men to the detriment of their emotional experience, such as the long year early on in Caramelo where Rafa is kept behind in Mexico and sent to military school. It also justifies men’s blasé mistreatment of women in their marriages, thus creating a culture where men do not enter into the emotional concerns of their wives.

On the more positive side, however, Cisneros presents a number of empowering examples of both women and men joining together and supporting one another. The complex feminine dynamic between Viva and Lala—wherein they teach one another about sex, love, and relationships, all while reveling in the fun of dressing up and trying on new identities—is a strong example of female solidarity. Viva also represents female independence for Lala, with Viva affirming that “you are the author of the telenovela of your life […] Choose. I believe in destiny as much as you do, but sometimes you’ve gotta help your destiny along” (345).

Lala’s brothers are also predominantly positive masculine figures, as they elevate their mother—Zoila—in a more progressive way than previous generations, and they generously team up to help their father start his own business (which ultimately allows their family to flourish).  

From the old-world legacy of Soledad, who survived the Mexican Revolution and witnessed the shaping of her country, to the modern day story of Lala, who moves back and forth across the Mexico-US border, Caramelo examines the plurality of Mexican experience. Though the novel addresses a diversity of experiences and stories (some of which occasionally conflict with one another), the predominant message is that no single story defines what it means to be Mexican. As Lala beautifully summarizes in Chapter 72, there are all kinds of Mexicans, from green-eyed to blonde to Jewish to Lebanese. Moreover, these individuals exist all over the world—not just in Mexico.

Caramelo also examines the many ways in which Mexican identity articulates itself in Spanish language. Cisneros contains many Spanish words within the novel, placing them in conversation with their English counterparts. She also incorporates phonic and etymological deconstructions of Spanish phrases into her storytelling. For example, in Chapter 60, Lala reflects on the strange uses of “mother” and “father” in Spanish: “[…] everyone says ma-ma, or ¡mamacita! when some delightful she walks by […] If the delight is a he —¡Ay, qué papacito! Or, —¡papasote! for the ones truly delicious to the eye. A terrible incestuous confusion. Worse, the insults aimed at the mother, —Tu mama. While something wonderful is—Qué padre! What does this say about the Mexican? I asked you first” (307).