So Far From God

Castillo, Ana. So Far From God. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1993. Print.

           Sofia, a single mother raised her daughters, Fe, Esperanza, Caridad, and La Loca in New Mexico where they go through dramatic supernatural experiences. The women had no real men in their lives since Sofi’s husband, Don Domingo abandoned them. They had no luck in finding true love but they were able to survive and live on their own. Sofi’s daughters all had their own special personality. Two of them, Esperanza and Fe aimed towards obtaining the American Dream which meant going to college, getting a well-paying job and marrying. On the other hand, Caridad and La Loca had special powers and spent more time meditating and connecting with the spiritual world. Esperanza was able to receive a decent job but that led her to her death. The same way Fe died while “living the American Dream” but that actually killed her. Esperanza and Fe were different from her sisters because unlike them, they tried to assimilate to the American ways. They were trying to become Americanized. They didn’t want to be seen as crazy or outcasts as their two sisters, Claridad and La Loca were seen. In a way they wanted to leave their cultural traditions and isolate themselves from their family because they were viewed as outcasts. Despite the fact that all of Sofi’s daughters were different, they all made each other stronger. Not having a male figure in the family, Sofi and her daughters were able to strive which demonstrates that Hispanic women are able to succeed on their own.