The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love | Themes
One of the strengths of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love is that it shows the price exacted by adherence to rigid gender roles. In its world of New York Cubans, many men are machos: physically strong, capable of silently enduring great pain, but also prone to mistreating women. Cesar is such a man, and he gives Nestor traditional macho advice, "A little abuse never hurt a romance. Women like to know who's the boss." Nestor, who is more sensitive than his brother, nonetheless applies this counsel to his relationship with Maria, to disastrous effect. He shoves her, insults her,...
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