Guadalupe García McCall’s "Shame the Stars" draws on William Shakespeare’s "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet" by exploring themes of forbidden love and familial conflict within a vibrant cultural setting, paralleling the intense emotional experiences and societal pressures that characterize the original play. The rich, extravagant celebration serves as a backdrop for the youthful characters’ romantic entanglements, echoing the grand, yet tumultuous, world of Verona.
Shame the Stars by Guadalupe García McCall Before us was the most extravagant birthday party I had ever attended. Lupita’s parents weren’t rich, not by any means. It was obvious her parents had called in many favors from friends and family. The live music was not being provided by the usual conjunto group, but a long-tailed band. The músicos were Mexican, but they weren’t local, certainly no group I’d ever seen before. The decorations were beyond extravagant. The whole room was swathed in wide colorful ribbons. The swatches of cloth extended from the ceiling at the center of the room, billowing outward in every direction. At the edge of the ceiling, the giant ribbons were fastened with enormous bows and dropped downward, elegantly draping the walls until they dusted the floor. Every table had a different-colored skirt, and on every runner lay a huge elaborately decorated chest with bedazzled fans; long beaded necklaces; and assorted jewels the guests could crown and pin on each other, layering them on one after another until they looked like royals. As we moved into the warmly lit room, staying in the shadows by skirting the cold stucco wall, masked girls dressed in rich, luxurious, long dresses walked past us, giggling with their friends. Some of the more sedate ones sat at elegantly draped tables with their sisters and mamás, waiting to be asked to dance by the masked boys milling around the room. Excerpt from Shame the Stars.=In 1–2 sentences, analyze how Guadalupe García McCall’s Shame the Stars draws on source material from William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. (2 points)
1 answer