Summary-caramelo 156p16

Caramelo is a 2002 novel by American author Sandra Cisneros. It was inspired by her Mexican heritage and childhood in the barrio of Chicago, Illinois. The main character, Lala, is the only girl in a family of seven children and her family often travels between Chicago and Mexico City. Because Cisneros also has six brothers and her family moved frequently when she was a child, the novel is semi-autobiographical. The novel could also be called a bildungsroman, as it focuses on Lala's development from childhood onward. It was shortlisted for the 2004 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Characters in Caramelo Celaya (Lala)- Central narrator. She tells her story, as well as that of her grandmother. She always seems to be an outcast and turns out to be very similar to her Awful Grandmother. Inocencio-; Celaya’s father. He shows an affinity for her over her brothers. Candelaria is his illegitimate child. He enjoys upholstering and is very good at it, but does not make a lot of money at it. Soledad favors him over the rest of her children. Zoila- Celaya’s mother. They don’t have a very strong relationship; it mimics the relationship between Aunty Light-Skin and Soledad. She is frugal and often takes Celaya to shop at second hand stores, even though Inocencio does not approve. Soledad (Awful Grandmother)- she is always trying to cause trouble. Her mother died when she was young and her father gave her up to her aunt, who had too many kids to deal with. She went to live with Narciso’s family and worked as a servant. Narciso got her pregnant and then he married her. He basically neglected her the whole time and she was heart sick until Inocencio was born. She causes trouble with Zoila by telling about Candelaria. She is just generally unpleasant and brings the people down around her, but she has a strong relationship with Celaya it seems. Narciso (Little Grandfather)- Husband of Soledad. He generally is not very good to Soledad, but is favored among his grandchildren. At a young age, he ed the Mexican army but ended up deserting. Rafa (Rafael), Ito (Refugio), Tikis (Gustavo), Toto (Alberto), Lolo (Lorenzo), Memo (Guillermo)- The brothers of Celaya (Lala), sons of Inocencio and Zoila. Generally cause trouble for Celaya, but they have their moments. Uncle Fat-Face (Federico) and Uncle Baby (Armando)- brothers of Inocencio. Work with him on upholstery and live in Chicago. They all take a trip down to Mexico in the summers. Aunty Light-skin (Norma)- Inocencio’s sister. Narrates part of the novel. Relates to Celaya because they both feel heartbreak. Antonieta Araceli’s father left after she was born, leaving Aunty Light-Skin in depression. Antonieta Araceli- Aunty Light-Skin’s daughter by the man whose name shouldn’t be mentioned.Caramelo pida pelo. Amor and Paz- daughters of Uncle Baby and Aunty Ninfa. Eleuterio- Father of Narciso, married to Regina. Left his family in Spain and went to Mexico. Impregnated Regina, then fled back to Spain. Returned later and married her. A friend to Soledad and supposedly influences Narciso to marry her after she gets pregnant. Regina- Narciso’s mother. She loves him very ionately. She makes most of the income selling things at flea markets. When the war breaks out, she gets very rich by basically becoming a trading post, specializing in cigarettes.

Candelaria- Daughter of washerwoman. Not a large role in the novel, but her presence seems to infiltrate the whole thing because she is Inocencio's child out of wedlock. Elvis, Aristotle, and Byron- Uncle Fat-Face and Aunty Licha’s children. Named after people she finds in her horoscope. Ernie (Ernesto) Calderon- A good catholic boy that is friends with Celaya’s brothers. They get romantically interested and run away together, but Ernie ends up choosing his mother over Celaya. Exaltacion Henestrosa- Exotic woman who Narciso falls in love with while married to Soledad. She then leaves him for a female singer in a traveling circus, Panfila Pal

Plot Each summer, Celaya and her family return to her grandmother's home in Mexico City. At the house, Celaya meets Candelaria, the maid's daughter, who she secretly ires for her beauty. Here we also meet other of her family, including the Awful Grandmother, Aunty Light-Skin, and the Little Grandfather. We learn about their stories. For example, the Little Grandfather lived in Chicago for a time and was injured during the Mexican Civil War. Aunty Light-Skin had an affair with an unnamed movie star. Through it all, the ties between families are bound together by the silken rebozo. The rebozo is central to the story, as it represents the dysfunctional and interconnected relationships. The narrative turns to a story of Celaya's adolescence. Her family lives in Chicago but decides to move to San Antonio. Unfortunately for the father, his new job as an upholsterer is not well-paid, nor is he respected at work. Celaya learns to deal with a new home and classmates who pick on her. She meets Ernesto, who romances her and eventually brings her to Mexico City, ostensibly to marry. Instead, he runs away because his mother disapproves and chooses her over Lala; and Celaya must be rescued by her father. The Little Grandfather dies. Celaya's father grows old and infirm.

Storyline Celaya Reyes (“Lala”) is the main character of this story. She is the youngest of seven children, the only girl, and the favorite of Inocencio Reyes, her father. The latter leads to resentment from her mother and grandmother, who both vie for Inocencio’s love and attention. Throughout the book, Celaya narrates stories she has heard from her father or other of her family, and with each story, she understands a little more about herself and her life. Her main revelation is that her mother and grandmother do not hate her simply for being herself, rather they belittle and insult her because they are jealous. They simply want to be loved the way she is. Major Themes of Caramelo One theme that the writer conveys in Caramelo is the way Mexican women are sheltered. She depicts a Mexican society that believes it is best to give as little information to women as possible, because the less they know the better off they are. It is a culture, according to Cisneros, that wants to protect its women from the world, and instead of educating girls about their bodies and sexuality, families are letting young girls fall into womanhood with no preparation at all.

Elders tell the girls to take care of themselves. This is often understood literally, but what the girls don’t know is that taking care of themselves means to protect their virginity. In the book, Celaya wonders if this means to wash her hands, wash and brush her hair often, take care of her clothes, and a number of other things that she knows about. She wonders why there is such a constant focus on taking care of herself and even wonders if she isn’t washing herself enough to warrant such constant unwarranted advice. Parallels between the Women Protagonists in Caramelo There is one major parallel between the three main female characters in the book. They are all square pegs jammed into round holes. They are trying to mold themselves into what society needs them to be, and they are all miserable. Soledad, the grandmother, wanted to fit into society’s mold. Even her name, which means “loneliness” portrays this empty feeling. Zoila, Laya’s mother, is very domestic and pissed off by her wife and mother roles. She wants more than what life has handed her. Celaya is on her way to becoming bitter and upset like her mother and grandmother, but is unique. She has opportunities they do not, living in a different time amidst two worlds. Growing up as a part of the family’s new life in Chicago, she balances 1920s Mexico with 1950s Chicago, using the combination of the traditional and the modern cultures to help her mold herself into someone she desires to be. Caramelo Analysis The book is written in a clever way that reflects the genius of the writer. One of the main images of the book is a caramel-colored shawl that the Awful Grandmother’s mother began weaving, but left unfinished. This illustrates the point that the writer wants to convey, that life is often an unfinished story that can be unraveled and woven back together again, but never in the same way. Stories are told, and retold; sometimes outright lies prevail over the truth; and life remains a mess of stories and lies that people try to sort out. This book comes together wonderfully in the end, where it is left open-ended by the author. The message she conveys is that there is more to life than clean and perfect structure. The best part of life is like the fringe of a shawl, a beautiful tattered mess.