Analysis of Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid and Soledad by Angie Cruz

   wants to change her future. She is greatly influenced
This article is devoted to the issue, which has beenby West Indian, her home. Moreover, Lucy is caught
raised in a novel ‘Soledad’. The article brieflybetween two cultures, West Indian culture and
analyses the novel written by Angie Cruz. It presentsAmerican one. She rejects her heritage and wants to
similarities and differences of social norms andbecome an American. Besides, Lucy is in a conflict
economical status in the society described by thewith her mother and her own family is so far from her.
author. Moreover, the article gives a deep look insideIn this novel, as well as in ‘Breath, Eyes,
the book, stressing the description and presentation ofMemory’, mother-daughter relationship should be
mother-children relationship and gender roles in thedescribed in a more detailed way. Summarizing, both
novels.novels depict great difficulties in family relationships
This is a review of a novel ‘Lucy’ written byinfluenced by cultural, economical and social climate.
Jamaica Kincaid , which analyze gender roles,The novel ‘Soledad’ written by Angie Cruzis
mother-children relationship. In the article specialher first novel, in which the author depicts
attention is paid to social norms and economical statusmother-children relationship and emphasizes the
in the society described by the author. The novelimportance to remember one’s roots and
‘Lucy’ written by Jamaica Kincaid is a storyculture. Soledad is a major character of the novel who
of an individual. This is a story of a young girl who hasgrew up in the Dominican community. She does not
come to America from West Indian. The novel is thewant to accept her roots and moves to Manhattan,
description of two cultures - West Indian culture andAmerica. However, her family needs her return as
American culture represented by a family, in which theSoledad’s mother falls mentally ill. Soledad is
main character works and lives.ashamed of her motherland, family and especially of
Lucy is divided between two countries and cultures.her mother. She wants to be far away from her
She is angry with her mother and does not want tohome, however, she returns home to help her relatives.
read letters from her. She tries to wipe off all herThe novel ‘Soledad’ is a mysterious novel,
memories of her mother. She says, ‘I had come towhich mentions Soledad's spurious paternity. Besides, it
feel that my mother’s love for me wasshows the belief in supernatural, when
designed solely to make me into an echo of her; and ISoledad’s relatives want her to come back as
didn’t know why, but I felt that I would rather bethis may help her mother to recover. The novels
dead than become just an echo of someone. (Kincaid,describe the difficulties in mother-daughter relationship
p. 36) In this novel the major character moves toand the impossibility of a mother to give everything
America leaving her move in another country. This is athat her child needs. These books show almost no
completely different situation if compared to the novelsocial opportunities for the development and ‘a
‘Breath, Eyes, Memory’ where the heroinebetter life’, the absence of a father in the
was abandoned by her own mother in a childhood anddaughter upbringing and all the following consequences
finds her much later when moving to America.— anger, shame and a wish to be far away
In ‘Lucy’ the heroine rejects her past andfrom home.