Question
Highlight evidence of magic realism.
At the far end of the sky, where daylight begins, a dense radiance like a shooting star breaks forth. It weakens as it advances, as its outline takes shape in the ether. Her husband emerges from the light and comes toward her, taller than the palms, walking on water in his white summer suit and Panama hat. He is in no hurry. Celia half expects him to pull pink tea roses from behind his back as he used to when he returned from his trips to distant provinces.
—Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina García
At the far end of the sky, where daylight begins, a dense radiance like a shooting star breaks forth. It weakens as it advances, as its outline takes shape in the ether. Her husband emerges from the light and comes toward her, taller than the palms, walking on water in his white summer suit and Panama hat. He is in no hurry. Celia half expects him to pull pink tea roses from behind his back as he used to when he returned from his trips to distant provinces.
—Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina García
Answers
Answer
Celia is honored. The neighborhood committee has voted her little brick-and-cement house by the sea as the primary lookout for Santa Teresa del Mar. From her porch, Celia could spot another Bay of Pigs invasion before it happened. She would be feted at the palace, serenaded by a brass orchestra, seduced by El Líder himself on a red velvet divan.
. . . .
My mother says that Abuela Celia’s had plenty of chances to leave Cuba but that she’s stubborn and got her head turned around by El Líder. Mom says “Communist” the way some people says “cancer,” low and fierce. She reads the newspapers page by page for leftist conspiracies, jams her finger against imagined evidence and says, “See. What did I tell you? . . . . They’re dangerous subversives, red to the bone!”
—Dreaming in Cuban,
Cristina García
What are the political opinions of Celia and her daughter Lourdes?
Celia does not support Fidel Castro, but Lourdes does.
Lourdes does not support Fidel Castro, and Celia supports him only on some issues.
Celia and Lourdes have very different opinions about Cuban politics.
Celia and Lourdes strongly agree about Cuban politics.
. . . .
My mother says that Abuela Celia’s had plenty of chances to leave Cuba but that she’s stubborn and got her head turned around by El Líder. Mom says “Communist” the way some people says “cancer,” low and fierce. She reads the newspapers page by page for leftist conspiracies, jams her finger against imagined evidence and says, “See. What did I tell you? . . . . They’re dangerous subversives, red to the bone!”
—Dreaming in Cuban,
Cristina García
What are the political opinions of Celia and her daughter Lourdes?
Celia does not support Fidel Castro, but Lourdes does.
Lourdes does not support Fidel Castro, and Celia supports him only on some issues.
Celia and Lourdes have very different opinions about Cuban politics.
Celia and Lourdes strongly agree about Cuban politics.
Answer
“Lourdes, I’m back,” Jorge del Pino greets his daughter forty days after she buried him with his Panama hat, his cigars, and a bouquet of violets in a cemetery on the border of Brooklyn and Queens.
His words are warm and close as a breath. Lourdes turns, expecting to find her father at her shoulder but she sees only the dusk settling on the tops of the oak trees, the pink tinge of sliding darkness.
“Don’t be afraid, mi hija. Just keep walking and I’ll explain,” Jorge del Pino tells his daughter.
The sunset flares behind a row of brownstones, linking them as if by a flaming ribbon.
—Dreaming in Cuban,
Cristina García
Identify the element of magic realism found within the passage.
the items in Lourdes’s father’s coffin
the colors and approaching darkness
the effect of the sunset on the brownstones
the meeting between Lourdes and her dead father
His words are warm and close as a breath. Lourdes turns, expecting to find her father at her shoulder but she sees only the dusk settling on the tops of the oak trees, the pink tinge of sliding darkness.
“Don’t be afraid, mi hija. Just keep walking and I’ll explain,” Jorge del Pino tells his daughter.
The sunset flares behind a row of brownstones, linking them as if by a flaming ribbon.
—Dreaming in Cuban,
Cristina García
Identify the element of magic realism found within the passage.
the items in Lourdes’s father’s coffin
the colors and approaching darkness
the effect of the sunset on the brownstones
the meeting between Lourdes and her dead father
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The passage from "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García is rich with elements of magical realism, evident in several aspects:
1. **Supernatural Appearance**: The husband emerges from a "dense radiance like a shooting star," suggesting a celestial or otherworldly origin. His arrival is surreal, emphasizing a connection between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
2. **Walking on Water**: The husband is described as walking on water, a clear defiance of the laws of physics. This act is a classic example of magical realism, where reality is infused with fantastical elements that challenge perception.
3. **Idealization and Memory**: The image of the husband in his white summer suit and Panama hat evokes nostalgia and idealization, blurring the lines between memory and reality. Celia's expectation of him pulling "pink tea roses" from behind his back further signals a whimsical, dream-like quality that enhances the magical atmosphere.
4. **Atmospheric Elements**: The setting is imbued with a dreamlike quality, with descriptions of "daylight begins" and "the ether," contributing to a sense of wonder and the surreal nature of the scene.
These elements work together to create a vivid tapestry where the extraordinary seamlessly intersects with the everyday, hallmark characteristics of magical realism.
1. **Supernatural Appearance**: The husband emerges from a "dense radiance like a shooting star," suggesting a celestial or otherworldly origin. His arrival is surreal, emphasizing a connection between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
2. **Walking on Water**: The husband is described as walking on water, a clear defiance of the laws of physics. This act is a classic example of magical realism, where reality is infused with fantastical elements that challenge perception.
3. **Idealization and Memory**: The image of the husband in his white summer suit and Panama hat evokes nostalgia and idealization, blurring the lines between memory and reality. Celia's expectation of him pulling "pink tea roses" from behind his back further signals a whimsical, dream-like quality that enhances the magical atmosphere.
4. **Atmospheric Elements**: The setting is imbued with a dreamlike quality, with descriptions of "daylight begins" and "the ether," contributing to a sense of wonder and the surreal nature of the scene.
These elements work together to create a vivid tapestry where the extraordinary seamlessly intersects with the everyday, hallmark characteristics of magical realism.
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The correct interpretation based on the passage you provided is:
**Celia and Lourdes have very different opinions about Cuban politics.**
Celia is portrayed as someone who has been influenced by El Líder (Fidel Castro) and seems to embrace a certain pride in her recognition within the political system, which suggests a level of acceptance, if not support, for the regime. In contrast, Lourdes shows a very negative view of Castro and his government, evidenced by her strong, fierce language dismissing him as “dangerous” and accusing the regime of being full of “subversives.” Their contrasting perspectives highlight the generational and ideological divide between them regarding Cuban politics.
**Celia and Lourdes have very different opinions about Cuban politics.**
Celia is portrayed as someone who has been influenced by El Líder (Fidel Castro) and seems to embrace a certain pride in her recognition within the political system, which suggests a level of acceptance, if not support, for the regime. In contrast, Lourdes shows a very negative view of Castro and his government, evidenced by her strong, fierce language dismissing him as “dangerous” and accusing the regime of being full of “subversives.” Their contrasting perspectives highlight the generational and ideological divide between them regarding Cuban politics.
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The element of magic realism found within the passage is **the meeting between Lourdes and her dead father**.
In this scene, Jorge del Pino greets his daughter forty days after his death, which introduces a supernatural encounter that blurs the lines between life and death. This direct interaction with a deceased character is a prime example of magical realism, as it presents the extraordinary (a dead person speaking to a living person) within the context of an otherwise ordinary reality.
In this scene, Jorge del Pino greets his daughter forty days after his death, which introduces a supernatural encounter that blurs the lines between life and death. This direct interaction with a deceased character is a prime example of magical realism, as it presents the extraordinary (a dead person speaking to a living person) within the context of an otherwise ordinary reality.
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