Many of us have that comfort food that we go to when we are have trivializing life problems. Personally, for me, when I really need to indulge in food to compensate for my reality, I go directly to ice cream. Something about comfort food just seems to reassure us that life goes on, and our troubles will subside. In the novel the Dreaming in Cuban, by Cristina Garcia we find the character Lourdes seemingly always finding a friend in sticky buns. It seems that whenever she is faced with a problem in life, she turns to these comforting sticky buns. I will be the first to admit that there does seem to be reassurance in our own personal comfort food; but I wonder, do we over do it. Do we confide to an excess amount in this food? These problems that we could be talking about to others like trustful friends or family, we take out on food and when it comes down to it we usually do not feel too much better about our situation, or our appearance either.
I wonder while reading this novel, does Lourdes take this eating of comfort food to an excessive, unreal amount? In the midst of her binges of sticky buns has she lost her family relationships? Throughout reading the novel, I cannot help but notice that any time Lourdes has a "trivializing" problem in her life she heads straight for the sticky buns. Her being a baker definitely does not help this eating problem. Lourdes and her daughter, Pilar, have a dreadful relationship. Unwillingly, Pilar moved to the United States from Cuba because of her mother's wish. Now, while in the United States Pilar wants nothing more than to move back to Cuba. They settle in New York where Lourdes opens up a bakery and forces Pilar to work there for her. Pilar absolutely hates it and her mother has no idea why. She feels as though it is Pilar's duty to work for her in the bakery. Pilar has a passion for art and Lourdes does not even try to comprehend why Pilar loves it. Obviously, it is clear to see that they do not see eye to eye on pretty much anything. Because of these problems with her daughter, Lourdes turns to sticky buns to show her comfort. These sticky buns seem to put Lourdes in a better mood and cure her of her bad symptoms. But, are these sticky buns what is hurting this mother and daughter relationship? Is Lourdes confining in this consoling pleasure when she could be conversing with Pilar about their problems?
I believe these "comforting" sticky buns are just the problem! Without them, Lourdes would need to talk to Pilar to sort their differences out. These sticky buns are a dreadful barrier between what could possibly be a positive mother-daughter relationship. I believe that by Lourdes setting the sticky buns to the side, she could not only improve her appearance, but also the relationship she shares with her only child.
Libby,
ReplyDeleteI found it funny, I guess you could say, that ice cream is your outlet for you, because it made me think of Felicia in the novel and her strong cravings for coconut ice cream.
I also think it would be worthwhile to explore the point in the novel when Lourdes loses 118 pounds when her daughter goes away to art school. She couldn't wait for her daughter, Pilar, to come home at Thanksgiving and see this huge transformation in her. Yet, she ends up gaining the weight back (and then some, probably). Do you find this detail to be significant or just a minor one? I think many women can relate to this yo-yo dieting. Does Lourdes lose some of her empowerment after she gains her shedded pounds back, or does this 'extra bulk' just make her seem even more domineering and powerful? I definitely would assert that she lacks the willpower.
I like this idea of sticky buns being this "barrier" between Lourdes and Pilar. Why does Lourdes seem to go out of her way to distance herself from her only child rather than coddle her? Personally, I think it has a lot to do with her upbringing. Lourdes never really had a mother figure in her life. When she was born, her mother dangled her by the foot and said that she won't remember her daughter's name. That moment set the tone for the relationship that Lourdes and her mother Celia would share. Lourdes was extremely close to her father and bonded with him, rather than her mother. Maybe because she lacked a mother figure in her life, she doesn't know how to be a mother to Pilar? And because of this, she fills this void with her sticky buns. It is when Pilar goes away that she finally seems to get a grip and loses a significant amount of weight, only to gain it back when Pilar returns.