The concept of machismo has administered itself as a common theme in many Latino men’s lives. The thought of being strong, has influenced how many men in Latino communities live their lives. The overall exaggeration of manliness can be seen and explored in the novels, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya and Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez. Each of these novels presents the theme of machismo differently, but the overall message of Latino men being raised with an entitlement to show off their masculinity in order to preserve their respect and dignity is present throughout each of the novels. Machismo has had an effective on the entire Latino community, with it helping out in certain scenarios and also hindering the greater good in many cases.
Literature can help explore this theme in a variety of ways. From the authors, the reader can gain new insights and viewpoints from each of the Latino/a cultures. It is easy to compare how machismo has affected each, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico in different ways, but also bring together the underlining fact that machismo plays a big part in Latino/a culture as a whole. The authors each tell their own story and machismo works its way into each of the novels through different characters and plot lines. In the novels, machismo usually hinders the main character, preventing them to live their life the way they see fit. The pressure of machismo in Latino/a culture has developed so strongly that the authors have correlated it into their novels whether intentional or not.
The Brief Life of Oscar Wao contains the most upfront visualization of machismo and how it affects the people of the Dominican Republic. Machismo dominates the book, and Junot Diaz shows the negative impacts of machismo in the Dominican Republic through the main character, Oscar. Oscar is different than all the other boys. He loves science-fiction, role playing games, and fantasy which is a direct opposite of what all the other young men are interested in. The narrator constantly goes on about Oscar’s problems with women and how he cannot have the type of relationship he strives for because of who he is as a person.
The women in the novel are often dominated, and forced into situations because of the machismo demonstrated by all of the other males in the novel besides Oscar. Diaz portrays the other men as ignorant and headstrong, regardless, the men who demonstrate the most machismo get what they want with little to no setbacks. Diaz is showing how backwards the society can be with men, focusing more on the power and influence they have over others rather than the relationship and personal experiences they share with both men and women.
In Challenging the Grand Narrative of Machismo the need to dominate women and other people deemed inferior is hardwired into many Latino men’s brains (Falicov). Some theories suggested are the patriarchal reinforcement of the Roman Catholic Church, an Oedipus theme that has existed in Latino men since colonization, and some theories date machismo back to a colonial inheritance from the Spanish Inquisition. These themes can all be seen throughout the novels, individually.
Oscar is the perfect foil for how Diaz views machismo in the Dominican Republic. He is sincere and honest and cares fully for how he presents himself to other people. By the end of the novel Oscar is so convinced that he is in love, he dies for what he believes is a noble and true love. The persistence of his family and friends do not affect him as he tries to achieve his lifelong goal of being accepted and loved for who he is rather than what he portrays.
Diaz intertwines the Fuku and Zafa curse of Oscar’s family with the machismo in the Dominican Republic. His mother, sister, and Yunior are all affected by the sexuality and power given to them in their culture. But instead of reversing that role and foregoing what their culture brings them into, they fall into the “curse” which can be seen as falling into the roles given to them by their society. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao shows the negative impacts of machismo in the Dominican Republic; this has shaped how the people think, act, and live their lives accordingly.
Bless me, Ultima has themes that show how machismo has affected Chicano culture. Although not as direct as The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Bless me, Ultima gives the reader a perspective on how machismo shapes the upbringing of many Chicano youth.
The novel follows the coming of age story of Antonio Marez y Luna, or Tony. Tony is guided by Ultima, who is deeply respected and helps Tony find his struggling identity. Throughout the novel Tony struggles with Death, religion, good, evil, and the concept of what is reality or myth. The theme of the catholic religion can be seen as a connection to the machismo in the book (Falicov). The domination of the religious leaders of the Catholic church is juxtaposed by the free spirituality of Ultima.
These struggles are also often provoked or connected with the machismo Tony is surrounded with while growing up. His father and older brothers represent the Chicano machismo and how it surrounds Tony’s culture. The character Tenorio portrays the idea of machismo more than any other character. He is testy and malicious, and throughout the novel he foregoes concepts of forgiveness or understanding but would rather act out violently to gain respect and fear from others.
Unlike Oscar, Tony rejects the machismo thinking of his father and brothers. Instead, he relates to Ultima and his mother, who show him values that enable him to figure out his identity, instead of being wrapped around the identity that most of the youth are forced into. The character of Tony shows how going away from the cultural thought of machismo can help find one’s own identity and place in life. Tony constantly struggles with different themes that are all pushed on him, the same way machismo is pushed onto much of the youth in Latino/a societies. By fighting through this he becomes his own person, instead of a clone that his culture expects him to become.
Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez gives the reader a unique perspective on machismo in Puerto Rican culture. The entire novel revolves around Chino, a smart college student who gets tangled up in the machismo of Willie Bodega and Bodega’s dream of ruling the drug trade in Harlem, New York.
Bodega portrays the machismo of Latin culture perfectly. Being concerned with power, and respect, Bodega’s dream is reminiscent of the movie Scar Face. The theme of rising to power through any means possible reflects how the machismo of Latin culture influenced the characters to act and behave the way they do. Bodega’s reason for acting this way is he does not know how else to maintain a healthy life without showing others his masculinity and power. Many of the characters act tough and powerful. They show how many people feel the need to become strong and dominate, and the only way they can obtain these goals is by showing an exaggerated view of masculinity to both their friends and foes.
Bodega has it in his mind that he needs to be the top dog, which involves ousting the former drug lord of the area. The machismo Bodega learned as a child directly influenced how he runs his business, and his general outlook on life. The brutal and harsh life Bodega sets up around himself eventually leads to his downfall, which is a theme Quinonez desperately beats into the novel. Chino eventually learns that the stereotypes he initially thinks of as being important and meaningful do not mean nearly as much as what type of personality or character someone has.
Unlike Bless me, Ultima which focuses on the individual machismo and how it can affect the personality and identity behind someone; Bodega Dreams shows how machismo can affect an entire culture. These cultures that are run by machismo are shown by the authors to be harsh and unfair. The entitlement men have by simply being a man is given a negative look, and machismo is keeping back these cultures on becoming something more connected to all genders and people.
The social construct of machismo is apparent through all of Latino culture. The characters of Oscar, Bodega, and Tony all give a different perspective on how machismo has shaped and paved their lives. Without machismo these characters would not behave in the way they do or have the same identity. Machismo has shaped the way men look at each other, the way men look at women, and what is understood as right and wrong behavior regarding the two genders. These preconceptions about Latino men have negatively impacted much of the culture, but the authors of these novels seem to be combating the machismo affect by showing the relationships between these men and others in the community.
