The Autobiography of my Mother and Fresa y Chocolate are masterpiece works that comprehensively develops the idea of rebellion. Authors of the articles explore this subject from unique and diverse perspectives. Characters in these works present attitudes and undertaking that seem to be very rebellious. Examining this rebellion is of high significance as it attracts serious conflicts in the society in different ways. The Autobiography of My Mother focuses on a young woman who is brought up in a loveless household. The girl’s mother died while she was giving birth. Fresa y chocolate (which is a Spanish phrase for Strawberry and chocolate), regards to the story of the friendship between two men in Cuba who could not be more different. One is a middle-aged gay by the name Diego, and the other is a young heterosexual communist named David. These works explores interesting subjects that are of great relevance in the modern world. The paper discusses how these two works presents the idea of rebellion by examining how different characters rebels towards various social-political forces that oblige coarse them into living a life or engaging in undertaking that the see as exploitative and discriminative.
The Autography of My Mother tells the story of Xuela, the girl brought up by a laundress who is not friendly to her (Kincaid 22). The work first explores the controversial issue of homosexuality in the society. Furthermore, it brings forth interpretations that take into account the tension accruing between nationalism and antinationalism, homosexuality and heterosexuality and between antisocialism and socialism (Marce 45). The Fresa y Chocolate assumes the challenge of establishing the crucial role of elites in the Cuban Revolution. Diego represents the individuals who the society feels that they are against the idea of revolution. He seeks to pursue his freedom and happiness by doing what he likes. Accordingly, is determined to realize his liberty through personally attained practices that include religion and sexuality among others. Being a homosexual, the society views Diego as a rebel of revolution (Marce 48). David on his side takes up everything that pertains to revolutionary. This is an important distinction he has with Diego. David belongs to the reformed education system under Fidel Castro. He presents a closed mind attitude because his reasoning is mainly informed by the values promoted by revolution. In this context, David presents as a captive of the society. Through describing the stories of David and Diego, the play extensively develops the idea of revolution. Although the society feels that Diego is opposed to the idea of revolution, it is arguable that this character appears to be more transformative. David presents as a conservative person as he remains stuck in traditions while Diego is motivated to challenge such traditions to enjoy full freedom (Marce 52).
The Autobiography of My Mother describes the interior lives of stifled yet intelligent women and the impact on the choices they make. Seventy-year-old Xuela engages in an extended meditation on her life and the choices she has made in her life. She is not ready to engage herself in mothering as it can be seen where she aborted her first pregnancy. She longs for love, but the only person she can extend her love to is her mother. Her inability to love anyone exhibits the imperfections of humanity as a response to her childhood. Her desire to forget her mother is clearly connected to her desire to forget the colonial process. Her relation with her parents and country is shared in the preoccupation of domination (Kincaid 29).
It is arguable that the atrocities of colonialism compel the narrator to rebel. She has desire to function outside the dominant system. She hates and rebels her government as it has brought suffering to her. She feels that her life was doomed since the moment she was born, thus does not believe that she can do much to correct the situation. This is evident in the statement “ my mother died at the moment I was born, and so for my whole life there was nothing standing between myself and eternity; at my back was always a bleak, black wind” (Kincaid 3). At one time in the school choir, her hatred for the descendants of Britain causes her to disrupt the choir practice. This act of non-participation symbolized a small rebellion that the choir mistress wondered if all efforts put to civilize her had added up to nothing. To her mistress, it was not an act of rebellion since the native is simply a beast, which needs to be civilized. Besides that, her mother’s betrayal in the willingness to succumb to a system which offers black women limited spaces from which to function and the mother country’s perpetuation of historical untruths also contribute to the reason of the cold relationship between her and her mother (Kincaid 43). Xuela states, “I felt I did not want to belong to anyone, that since the one person I would have consented to own me had never lived to do so, I did not want to belong to anyone; I did not want anyone to belong to me” (Kincaid 104). The statement clearly highlights how Xuela has rebelled and isolated herself from the society. She is not interested in relating to anyone nor does she want anyone to proclaim her.
In the society’s view, David present as a classic example of the concept of revolutionary. For instance, this motivation makes him pursue political science and disregard his dream subject, Literature. He justifies his decision by explaining that he feels that he is obliged to study this subject to contribute accordingly to the revolution. This is because the subject was viewed important for the movement. Following his action, the society acknowledges David as a reputable scholar of revolution while Diego is viewed as a disgrace to the community especially because of his sexuality (Marce 56). It is apparent that the non-elites are entangled in the aspects of sex and art. The elites attempt to emphasize the idea of revolution. Unfortunately, the ideas they develops seem to contradict the very meaning of revolution. Diego is portrayed as the most revolutionary because he is free thinking. The play emphasizes the need for balance between collectivism and freethinking (Marce 68).
In the Autobiography of My Mother, Xuela’s decision not to have a child may not have been a personal decision rather, a challenge to the patriarchal dominance but also a form of resistance to colonialism. She denounces the English for having made her and many other orphans in the sense that they had neither a fatherland nor a motherland in their effort to make everywhere be like England. Despite losing all this, the people still go to the English churches to worship the colonial god. According to Xuela, the colonial God can never be their master. For this reason, Xuela never went to church with the main reason being that the church signified defeat yet again (Kincaid 61). Xuela’s rebellious attitude is evident in the statement, “ I refused to belong to a race, I refused to accept a nation. I wanted only, and still do want, to observe the people who do so.” ( Kincaid 226). Through this statement, Xuela highlights his ultimate decision not to associate or endorse the values promoted by her society that is oppressive and discriminative.
In conclusion, the two works clearly show how different individuals perceive rebellion and how rebellion can be a tool to fight for the freedom of the community. The works clearly show how dedicated individuals in the society refuse to bow down to the York of slavery enforced to them by the majority just as Diego freely talks about his sexuality. They fight for what is right and criticize those who out to maintain status quo at the expense of development and diversity.
Works Cited
Kincaid, Jamaica. "The Autobiography of My Mother: A Novel. Farrar, Straus and Giroux" 2013. print.
Marce, Carlos Campa. "Fresa y Chocolate: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea y Juan Carlos Tabío." Ediciones Paidos Iberica, S.A., 2002.Print.
