Culture Short Stories

Looking at the movie in a cultural sense, it is hard to separate my beliefs from what is culturally normal for family in the movie. I found it hard to watch at some parts for I do not believe parents should be that harsh and treat their children differently due to their age. Tita seemed to almost be a slave to her mother, not being aloud to cry or marry where as her eldest daughter was treated as if she were the most amazing daughter on the planet. I understand the cultural perspective, but that does not mean that her mother had to be so mean and I am glad that Tita fought for herself. Both are obviously in pain over the arrangements, the mother seems to hate her and her daughter hates how her mother treats her. Even at the point where the mother dies and we find out that she also had a love she could not be with, I felt no sympathy for her. I appreciated the Nana who died after the wedding; she was kind and seemed to be more of a mother to Tita than her actual mother. Nana was not even related, she was a maid, the main cook of the family and had magic to her and made the kitchen a safe haven. Her mother never cooked and her sister cannot cook, which I think shows who learns what trades depending on when they are born. The men in the movie are undeveloped, often like the women are portrayed in movies today, as side characters. 

The primary location of this movie takes place is at the Ranch. The bathroom takes a major role, one of the daughters awaken in a bathroom causing it to catch a flame. There was a blur between what was exaggerated and what was realistic like the tradition of the family.  Yet in the world of the movie, everything is the same, all is ‘real’ to the story and it is up to the viewer to decide what is real and what is fanciful. The characters would often switch between Spanish and English, showing that they are located near the border of Mexico. The middle daughter, Trudis, was an affair baby and decides to leave and live with the revolutionaries and to fulfill her desires. The fantastic landscape was shown when she was leaving the ranch to go to the doctor’s home by showing her extremely long quilt that she had knitted. The symbolism of the blanket shows her frustrations with her life and all the night she could not sleep.

The world’s ethos has a set of beliefs that are being challenged, like the battle between Tita and her mother over her life and happiness. Pedro’s idea to marry the sister of his love was not the best idea and it shows in the events of the story, never being able to be with the one he truly loved and ended up losing her. Another instance is when the mother makes her daughter and Pedro leave to San Antonio due to her need to interfere, but once they left the child died due to leaving Tita. The characters are a part of the world, living on the ranch and go through the crap their mother sets upon them, the characters are completely immersed in the world. Often one finds a character that is in and out of the world, but in this story they are fully in this world. Depending on the culture you were raised in can effect how a viewer identifies or is they can identify with a character in the story. One must try to enjoy the story as its own story and not try to make it your own. One does not have to relate, one does not have to be apart of the culture; one just needs to get over them selves, listen, and take in the story for what it is.

I read Hitting Budapest by NoViolet Bulawayo and when asked if I identify with any of the female characters from the story I would have to say no. I grew up in a very different environment compared to those children. Though I did not relate to any of them, this fact did not make the story any less interesting.