Dreaming In Cuban Summary

Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia follows the lives of three generations of the del Pino family in the United States and in Cuba as they progress through the Cuban Revolution. Stylistically, the novel jumps between time periods, points of view, and characters, forcing the reader to be extremely attentive. Celia is the mother of Lourdes, Javier, and Felicia and is married to Jorge del Pino. The two seem to conflict ideologically as Celia supports the revolution and Jorge supports the American style of government. Celia does not fully appreciate Jorge until he dies in America after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. She is also deeply in love with Gustavo, a married Spaniard, and writes him constantly until Pilar is born.
Lourdes, Celia’s …show more content…
Lourdes plans to open her second bakery on the bicentennial of the United States and asks Pilar to paint a piece for the grand opening. Pilar’s masterpiece helps her not only express herself but also helps her find her voice. Pilar painted a punk version of the Statue of Liberty; this exemplifies Pilar’s rebelliousness against her mother and more generally against the United States. The bakery represents the capitalist ideals that her mother holds and Pilar’s painting mocks it by defacing the Statue of Liberty. The barbwire around the statue also proves to be a small jab at the restrictions on freedom in America. The release of the painting caused a slight uproar at the bakery and Lourdes ends up striking a customer to defend Pilar’s painting. This is the defining moment where Pilar begins to realize her true feelings for Lourdes. Pilar realizes that she “loves [her] mother very much at that moment” (144). Though Lourdes and Pilar disagree politically and are always clashing, the fact that Lourdes defends Pilar’s painting shows motherly love. It is during this moment that Pilar matures and grows and starts to develop her true