Symbolism In Mama Chona's The Rain God

The Rain God is a novel about a Mexican family living in a town of the United States, New Mexico and Mexican border. The family has struggles with several members such as sexuality, racial and ethnic identification, deaths, etc. Symbolism is shown during the entire book by religion. Mama Chona is a very religious woman that influences all the family. She expects every member to be perfect and have innocent souls. What she means by that is she wants everyone t follow strict religious rules like she had did. For example, marriage in church or taking part in religious actives. She expects to be married by the church or participate in helping the church with a little money. Unfortunately, there are a few family members that cannot meet her expectations. Those that cannot meet her expectations she considers them as sinners. Nina has a different religious belief for example, she beliefs in spiritual contacts with the dead. She sees people and starts screaming like she is with them. As a result she is considered a sinner since that doesn’t fit the Roman Catholic belief of Mama Chona. Later on, Miguel Chico is secretly taken to another church with his …show more content…
Mama Chona and Tia Cuca are convinced that upper class Mexicans have Spanish ancestors. By that Mama Chona expects every member of her family to speak Spanish and to be educated. Miguel Grande also looks down at the lower class Mexicans by calling them “wetbacks.” Many characters are seen as lower class because they have friends that are low class people. Miguel Grande feels that being homosexual is something shameful and disgusting. Which Felix falls in that case and maybe Miguel Chico too. Felix calls the Americans “stupid gringos” since he doesn’t approve of their lifestyle. While Miguel Chico adapts to the American lifestyle and he leaves his family away. We can see his achievements can be seen since he was accepted by