How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent Analysis

It was one the first Latino novels to be published in English. The writer narrates his story in a reverse chronological order with shifting perspective. The novel spans the lives of four sisters for more than thirty years. Alvarez began her story with the girls living in America and ended it with the girls living in the Dominicans republic in their childhood. The novel which, is written in an autobiographical form, relates to the writers struggle to adjust to the new life after running from her country over the then regime issue. Their father Carlos was a physician and his wife’s, Laura, father a United Nation’s diplomat. The whole extended family lived in a neighborhood with large houses and expanse lands.

As the traditions dictate, children are brought up by the extended family and offered protection. The four sisters experienced the same. Part I (1989-1972). Out of fear, the men help her change the tire and respects her. Afterwards, Jose returns frustrated after being hit by a guard who could not believe his story. Yolanda awards him with several dollars. The part also talks about the troubles of Sofia with her father. She had fled for six years, and they were not in speaking terms with her father. Part II (1970-1960). The section talks about the sisters' lives while in the United States as the immigrants. The girls are upset about immigrating but later they are assimilated into the country, and they feel comfortable to a point where returning to the Dominican Republic even for a summer becomes like a punishment.

When the girls first migrated to the United States, they were first enrolled in a Catholic School and later a boarding. After the girls are assimilated into the American Culture, the parents start worrying that they might forget their heritage. The session ends with the girls getting dolls from Mr. and Mrs. Fanning. Part III (1960-1956). The primary focus of this section is the early life of the girls and family before they immigrated to the United States. CHARACTERS Carlos. He is the child of Sofia and Otto. In the novel, Carlos is against the Trujilo’s military dictatorship. This leads to family immigration to the United States where he suffers the humiliation of reestablishing his reputation and credentials as a doctor.

He suffers from fears of his daughters being assimilated into the American culture. She moved to the America as a young child. She, however, recalls Chucha who performed spells. She is often not on good terms with her father. She elopes away with her Germany lover. Carla. One spot the girls kept remembering was coal shed. It was rumored to be haunted. The Dominican Republic occurs both in the second and the third part of the novel. The first part of the novel is based on the American setting mostly. The girls and the family are forced to move to New York, United States. These baby monkeys were kept in a cage so long, they wouldn't come out when the doors were finally left open.

Instead, they stayed inside and poked their arms through the bars for their food, just out of reach (Alvarez, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents). The blackbird that Yolanda see during her mental breakdown symbolizes the problems she was facing. The bird entered to her heart when John tried to kiss her forcibly. The bird finally came out when she visited Dr. This is what she has been missing all these years without really knowing that she has been missing it. Standing here in the quiet, she believes she has never felt at home in the States, never (Alvarez). Works Cited Alvarez, Julia. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Alvarez, Julia. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents.

Alvarez, Julia. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 1991. Print.