Introduction
The setting of this film is in Cuba, which was experiencing the “special period” in the mid-1990s. This period in Cuba was characterized by shortage, a great degree of social change and disillusionment. These negative features came up as a result of the collapse witnessed in the Soviet Union. Therefore, this meant that they would not get supplies of basic commodities and thus they were faced with serious shortages. Consequently, Cuba was in dire need of hard currency, which was initially not the case when they were still beneficiaries of the Soviet Union. Eventually, Cuba resorted to tourism and this was the time when the Guantanamera film was made in order for it to depict their view regarding human frailty and socialism. The paper focuses on the limited choices available to the characters and just how they were able to survive despite all the problems and hardships they faced at the time.
Q 1.
The limitation faced by the citizens in revolutionary Cuba is seen from some of the policies that have been established. This is evident from the new directive that allowed the citizens to transport the bodies of the beloved only up to the nearest funeral parlor that was in a bordering province. The directive was intended to save the amount of gasoline that was used in the course of such transportation. As such, Adolfo was able to transport aunt Yoyita’s body and thus making it possible for them to save on gasoline in the process. Another policy was the one where a deceased person could be buried in whatever place they had willed that they should be buried (Cramer & Marcus, 15). As a result, it was possible to bury Yoyita in her home in Havana despite the fact that she had died in Guantamano. The state of economic decline in Cuba was the main reason for a limitation in the choices at the disposal of the Cubans as they were operating under financial constraints. In any case, this is the reason for the new directive that would see them save on the cost of gasoline. In addition to this, another limitation that influenced their choice range was the fact that people were not allowed to take part in the sale of things such as foodstuffs. Adolfo thus found it difficult to find any food or even a drink because the shortage in Cuba made it difficult to find something that was being sold legally.
The limitations were further extended up to the currency that was being used. Restaurants and other places of business preferred to be paid in dollars rather than Cuban pesos because of the transition that was taking place during the “special period.” Ration coupons which were used in the funeral parlor during lunch further depicts the picture of the limited choices that faced people during Cuba’s revolution. Gina was faced with a limited choice in that she could either choose Adolfo her husband or Mariano who was her former student. Adolfo was a bureaucrat of socialism who had made her suffer while on the other hand Mariano was a loving and enthusiastic person. He was also an individual who did not hold strongly on socialistic ideologies and was also a womanizer.
Gina made her choice based on which of the characters between Adolfo and Mariano was more dependable and consistent. Mariano was a womanizer who had a lover at the stop of every province even though he was loving and enthusiastic. As such, Gina preferred Adolfo who despite being a harsh and domineering person was not domineering. Adolfo made his choice using the power of his office as his guiding factor (Meltzer, 48). The use of elementary math most likely shows that the bill of the gasoline would have been the same whether Adolfo transported the body directly or in bits while stopping at every neighboring border. Being a zealot who was mainly backed by his political power he opted to adopt the new directive of stopping at every province in a bid to spread the costs rather than using the original way of transporting the body directly in which case it will be taken out at its destination.
The communist regime has been able to survive even in the face of its numerous limitations because the Cubans have been able to use various ways to confront the economic issues facing them. Some of the Cubans sold various commodities in the black market in order to ensure their survival. For instance, Adolfo’s chauffeur buys garlic by the roadside so that he would sell the same when he got to Havana. Through this method, the Cubans were able to get some extra money to help themselves amidst the situation of adverse poverty in Cuba (Quiroga, 78). Another method that people have used in order to succeed is that of carrying passengers on trucks. Normally, it is not acceptable to charge passengers who have been carried on government trucks. However, several people contradict this law as the likes of Mariano and even the doctors violate this rule and carry passengers for a fee in order to get some easy money. Even so, several people are beneficiaries of free public transport using government trucks and this is the main reason why the communist regime was a success.
The Communist regime survived because they were flexible enough to allow for certain changes. Initially, the Cubans were only allowed to use the Cuban pesos as a means of payment but this situation changed during the revolution. Cubans were allowed to use dollars to make payments because it was considered to be more secure. This was a major transition because only the tourists were originally agreed to pay in dollars. A transition occurred and dollars became the most preferable method of payment. Finally, communism is seen to have survived because equality was exercised amongst everyone. Communism encouraged the practice of sharing of the available resources equally as can be seen from the incidences of rationing. In the funeral parlors, which were headed by Adolfo, food was distributed in rationed coupons and this ensured that everyone at least got a share.
Conclusion
The characters in the film are faced with a limited range of choices. Adolfo has only two policies to choose from regarding where to bury Yoyita and Gina has a limited choice of choosing between Adolfo and Mariano. The various characters end up using different criteria to make their choices. Gina bases her choice on character while on the other hand Adolfo makes his decision based on his position as the committee’s head on burials. Several factors have made it possible for the communist regime to survive even though it has been faced with several problems and restricted choices. Some of these factors are the fact that communism promoted equality and it created room for a number of changes, which ensured its survival. There is no doubt that the steps taken by the Cubans of different economic and political standing enable them to survive in the communist society.
Works Cited
Cramer, Mark, and Marcus Cramer. Cultureshock!: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2011. Internet resource.
Meltzer, Françoise, and Jaś Elsner. Saints: Faith Without Borders. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. Internet resource.
Quiroga, José. Cuban Palimpsests. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005. Print.
