Dreaming In Cuban Analysis

In analyzing Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban, it was apparent that the ideas and assertions presented in Thomas C. Foster’s chapter “It’s Never Just Heart Disease...And Rarely Just Illness” are relevant in this novel. In applying the assertions from Foster’s chapter, one can conclude each character’s “mental illness” reflects their views on identity in addition to allowing the author to expose their true identity and character. In his chapter, Thomas C. Foster presents assertions that disease in literature is symbolic and that diseases aren’t simply diseases. In addition, he implies that diseases reflect the thoughts, emotions, and identities of the characters. These thoughts and ideas are very relevant in Dreaming in Cuban as the author
However, Garcia depicts the death of Felicia in a way that allows her to show how all of the characters’ battles was simply a battle with their irregular and lumpy identities, identities that were so undefined that they drove many of the characters to the brink of
It just happens that the author uses Felicia’s story to not only make a comment that is relevant to the identity of Felicia, but rather a comment that reflects the identities of all the characters and that can be applied to all of our lives. Garcia is using the stories of her characters to make a statement on the idea of identity. Garcia’s depiction of Felicia’s death mimics how one’s identity can be irregular and undefined. Garcia’s inclusion of the death of Felicia allows her to add layers of meaning to the novel. Garcia uses the death of Felicia to symbolize the novel’s theme of uncertainty and irregularity in identity. The author uses Felicia’s story to make a comment on how identities are always going to be distorted or tainted in a way, and that there is no such thing as a perfect identity. All in all, Foster’s ideas in his chapter “It’s Never Just Heart Disease...And Rarely Just Illness” are relevant in the novel Dreaming in Cuban as author Cristina Garcia uses disease and death to paint a revitalized picture of identity in addition to making a strong statement on the idea of uncertainties in