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So Far From God

by Ana Castillo

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So Far from God Themes

The main themes in So Far from God are woman as daughter, wife, and mother; the exploitation of women; and religion.

  • Woman as daughter, wife, and mother: La Loca, Caridad, Esperanza, and Fe struggle to fulfill traditional women's roles, while Sofia comes to realize that she must live for herself rather than for her children or husband.
  • The exploitation of women: Exploitation is unavoidable for the women in the novel, whether by men, their neighbors, or their places of work.
  • Religion: The rules of organized, patriarchal religion cause suffering for the characters, while rejecting these constraints leads to freedom.

Woman as Daughter, Wife, and Mother

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One of the central themes in So Far From God revolves around the societal expectations of women. Traditionally, Hispanic women are raised to serve three main figures: their father, husband, and child. These roles can be quite restrictive, especially for contemporary women, and Castillo critiques this portrayal in her novel. The daughters—Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and La Loca—all strive to be devoted daughters and wives but find themselves failing in these capacities. Esperanza's boyfriend abandons her for someone else, while Fe's spouse drives her to a job that ultimately leads to her demise. Caridad's marriage disintegrates along with all her other relationships, and La Loca's aversion to people makes romance impossible. Even Sofi behaves as a dutiful daughter, foregoing the opportunity for true love. However, Castillo complicates this theme by showing that the alternatives to traditional roles are equally unsuccessful. Esperanza prioritizes her career over family, which leads to her death, and her three sisters all choose paths that diverge from the traditional wife and mother roles, dying without children as well. Castillo implies that women need to recognize themselves as individuals first to achieve true success. Sofi loses everything her culture deems valuable: her husband, her children, and even her home. Only when she has nothing left does Sofi understand that she must live for herself as a woman, not merely as someone's daughter, wife, or mother.

Exploitation of Women

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The theme of exploitation is prevalent in twentieth-century American literature, and So Far From God is no exception. In this novel, exploitation impacts women both at home and in the workplace. Esperanza sacrifices her life for her job, as does Fe, but Fe's situation is particularly severe. Her employers at the bank and the factory disregard her humanity. The factory manager exploits Fe's eagerness to perform any task to make a good impression and earn a bonus. She soon realizes the chemicals she handles are deadly, and the company is indifferent. Her death is agonizing and prolonged as cancer ravages her body. Sofi also suffers from emotional and unlawful exploitation. Her husband continuously gambles, ultimately losing their house and property in a card game. Although the judge who wins Domingo's bet knows his actions are illegal—since Domingo neither owned the land nor could the judge legally claim it—he still forces Sofi to pay rent on her own home. She is unable to sue him due to his position as a judge, allowing him to exploit her ignorance and fear for his gain. Caridad faces exploitation as well, both before and after her "holy recovery." She becomes a sexual object, using intimacy to escape her pain. After discovering her spirituality, she permits Dona Felicia and others in her community to exploit her abilities, struggles, and faith for their purposes. Caridad's exploitation ultimately leads to her death. Castillo appears to suggest that exploitation of any form is inescapable for women.

Religion

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In this novel, religion and dedication to faith are the root of most issues. The main conflicts revolve around how women are expected to navigate a patriarchal religion while maintaining their identity as women. In So Far From God , Catholicism offers no escape for the female characters; they are forced to either submit to male dominance or face death. Both Dona Felicia and, eventually, Sofi reject this type of religion and find liberation from its restrictions, but in doing so, they lose everything they cherish. Caridad attempts to reinterpret her religious beliefs, yet she cannot avoid the impact she has on others. People crowd around her, breach her privacy, and ultimately drive her to view suicide as her only escape....

(This entire section contains 147 words.)

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Castillo presents religion as an integral aspect of human life but criticizes the restrictive rules of organized religion and its harmful effects on society as a whole.

Family Space

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Traditionally, family evokes feelings of warmth, security, and safety. However, Castillo challenges this notion, much like she does with religion. In her work, the family environment becomes dominated by pain, death, and fear. Fe realizes her life as she knows it ends at home when she receives a "dear Jane" letter from Tom. Similarly, Sofi loses her home due to her husband's gambling addiction. Caridad's living spaces, including the trailer she rents from Felicia and the house her father constructs, also become scenes of suffering and theft. Consequently, family and home transform into places of loss and sorrow, prompting readers to reconsider their own perceptions of security and peace.

Spiritual vs. Physical

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Similarly, Castillo explores the tension between spiritual and physical identities. In the novel, the women prioritize their physical needs over their spiritual ones. Fe and Esperanza disregard their spiritual well-being, leading to their demise. Conversely, completely immersing oneself in the spiritual realm is also not viable. Characters like Caridad and La Loca choose to focus solely on the spiritual, and they meet the same fate. Castillo appears to convey that extremes are dangerous and potentially deadly, while finding balance is challenging. The struggle between the physical and spiritual realms is a recurring battle faced by every generation.

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