Student Question
Who are Eddie's mom, aunts, and godmother in Buried Onions?
Quick answer:
In Buried Onions, Eddie's family includes his unnamed mother, two aunts—Dolores and Gloria—and his godmother, whose name is also not given. Dolores, the mother of Eddie's deceased cousin Jesús, pressures him to seek revenge. Gloria and Eddie's mother are portrayed as disconnected from his struggles, focusing instead on trivial matters. Eddie's godmother appears when he seeks refuge, symbolizing another instance of death with her dog being euthanized.
Eddie mentions his father, two uncles, mother, godmother and two aunts during the course of the novel. In chapter one he says that his father and two uncles are dead along with a good friend Juan and his cousin Jesús. All of these men seemed to have died young, suggesting that Eddie's fate may be no different if he doesn't get out of his lower class neighborhood in Fresno. Eddie's tía, Spanish for aunt, Dolores is mentioned early in the book. She is the mother of Jesús, who was killed in the bathroom of a club. She wants Eddie to get revenge for her and offers him a gun. Eddie's mother, who is never named, and Gloria, another aunt, are mentioned in chapter three. They seem only concerned that Eddie doesn't have any coffee and that he really should have a girlfriend. They are totally unable to relate to Eddie's problems. Eddie also has a nina, Spanish for godmother. In chapter five, with nowhere to turn as he imagines he is being pursued by Angel, Eddie shows up at her house. She is preparing to take her old dog Queenie to the SPCA to be euthanized, yet another symbol of death in the novel. Like Eddie's mother, her name is never given.
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