Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 Chasing Material One of my favorite writers, Ayn Rand, wrote in her book

Atlas Shrugged that, Force and mind

are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins. The first part of the statement correlates to opposing characters designed in the play Anna in the Tropics, the second part hints the manner the play ends in. The play, written by Cuban-American author Nilo Cruz, presents two characters whom hold completely different perspectives on life. On the one hand, Cheche, a 40-year-old ruthless businessman trying to take over his half-brother s share of a cigar rolling factory. On the other hand, Marela, the 22-year-old daughter of Ofelia and Santiago, Cheche s half-brother. Cheche represents the cruel, materialistic world, but he also represents reality. Marela, completely on the contrary, embodies the nave, symbolizes mysticism and imagination. Critics of the play would say that Cheche s unpunished sins and crimes committed throughout the play signify Cruz s demonstration how, inevitably, traditional culture has been replaced by industrialization and materialism. Although their plausible proposition, revealing the demise of human relationships and literature while simultaneously giving birth to the concept of economic determinism signifies the main reason behind the characters designation. Cheche s perspective represents the modern society s outlook, ignoring past traditions, which are present in Marela s perspective. Both views see only one true viewpoints and both overlook an important part of the puzzle of life. The way the play ends implies what perspective dominates in modernity. In her book Economic Determinism: or, The Economic Interpretation of History, Lida Parce introduces economic determinism, which is the theory which attributes predominance to the economic structure over any other factor in the development of human history. The exact derivation of the

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 concept is chronologically unknown, but can be estimated to the first time humans changed their surroundings for their survival rather than relied on nature. Parce explores and discovers an intriguing correlation between the unity of families throughout the invention of tools. The caveman, the most primitive human known, had the first social revolution when humans invented the bow-and-arrow. Parce describes how and why this occurred, stating that The people were now enabled to leave the coasts and river-courses, and live wherever there was game. They no longer were dependent upon trees and caves for a habitation. It broke up the cave-home (Parce, 19). From the earliest civilization we can see a connection between labor (in primitive times it was just hunting and gathering) and its effect on human relationships. In the chapter describing economic determinism during the Industrial Revolution, Parce suggests that an individual relies upon society for work. But when the individual cannot find work in the place where his family lives, he must leave the family to follow the work. Parce proposes that There is nothing inscrutable about the reason why the family began to disintegrate at the time the application of machines enabled the manufacturers to gather in the towns (142). In other words, Parce believes that the introduction of machinery, whose objective increases economic prosperity by increasing production, caused families to fragment. Parse s theories correlating the crumbling of the family to the technological advances relate back to Cruz s play when Cheche introduces the machines to the workers of the factory. He gets an unwelcomed response by the workers, being aware that machines could mean the cutting down in the workforce, creating competition for jobs, eventually causing their social harmony in the factory to disappear. The cigar factory workers are family members in this play and creating antagonism amongst them for jobs would cause disintegration, as Parse s book suggests.

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 The concept of economic determinism continues to appear throughout the play as it represents the eventual conquest of Cheche s point -of-view in modern society while personal relationships are disregarded. The concept of economic determinism is clearly evident in the opening scene of the play, during a cockfight where Santiago and Cheche are gambling. Cheche ignores his ailing brother s gambling addiction for revenue, another piece of the family business. This shows how personal relationships (in the form of maybe the tightest relationship available, kinship) are forgotten when economic profit is on the line. Both Cheche and Santiago are gambling, but Santiago keeps on losing the bets and compulsively betting more, while Cheche wins and knows his limitations. Eventually Santiago runs out of money, piteously pleading Cheche for more money to gamble. Cheche initially rejects his brother s requests, understanding that it is just money involved and his brother is too drunk to comprehend his loses. But when Santiago proposes to give Cheche another fraction of the factory, Cheche removes his shoe without hesitation (Cruz, 16). Cheche, taking advantage of the situation, sees a clear business opportunity, for his main goal in the play is to take over the big share of the family-run factory. The scenery itself, the ruthless and inhumane setting of a cockfight, symbolizes the cruel outside world, where Cheche obviously feels comfortable in, even coming out with a large profit, in the form of a bigger share in the factory. Cheche s materialistic nature results in expansion, while Santiago, who s more similar to Marela in his nature, results in contraction. In other words, Cheche, the firm believer of economic prosperity, comes out victorious over the other boss of the company, the one supporting the education the workers.

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 Corruption is an unfortunate symptom of the capitalist, material world. It is logical to assume that with a materialistic perspective on life comes the side effect of moral corruption. One whom is obsessed with the tangible luxuries ignores ethics and morality when faced with possibilities of expansion and gain of power. The same person demonstrates ignorance in assessing the strength and importance of personal relationships. Obviously, the model here is Cheche. Cheche s evidence of corruption makes a continuous appearance in the play. The first example occurs when Palomo asks Juan Julian how Anna Karenina ends, when Cheche suddenly barges in stating that, I would ve killed the bastard a long time ago (67). Cheche is disrespectful towards art in the form of literature, towards the lecturer and epitomes corruption by stating the most violent of acts on society, murder. The declaration becomes fact when he eventually murders Juan Julian (82), perhaps as vengeance for his wife running away with a lecturer or because Juan Julian humiliated him in front of his workers (52-53). Although not indicated clearly, Cheche is implied to have raped Marela (78), another very strong act exemplifying his moral corruption. After all these destructive acts of violence and crime, the text does not indicate Cheche is punished for his actions, but ironically, the characters presented as morally good (Juan Julian and Marela) have been slaughtered and sexually assaulted, respectively. The chance of gaining power blinds Cheche from seeing the importance of education and the presence of ethics. In other words, the representative of materialism and economic determinism killed the man who believed in educating the factory workers and personal relationships. On the contrary to Cheche s brutal and tangible existence lies innocence, in this play, exemplified by Marela. Throughout the play, Marela identifies as the embodiment of innocent, present

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 in her speech. The boldest example of Marela s immaturity and naivette occurs when she awaits Juan Julian s disembarkment together with her mother and Conchita. As they nervously anticipate Juan Julian s figure, Marela takes the word nervously to a whole new level. When Juan Julian finally meets the women, we hear Marela pee on herself from nervousness (18). This is an exaggeration made purposefully by Cruz to demonstrate how innocent Marela is. What 22-year-old would pee herself from excitement if not the most innocent one? In Scene III Act II, during the celebration of the new cigar brand, Marela stands with her mother and father as they are little drunk. Santiago offers Ofelia to leave, but she responds, Bah, you just want to take advantage of me because I m drunk (75). The next line Marela, embarrassed, shouts at her mother. If the play would be visually seen, I bet we would see Marela s cheeks blush up. Hearing her parents indirectly talk about sex makes her feel uncomfortable, as any 22-year-old that would have heard such a thing would probably have a more relaxed response. Marela s innocence is awkwardly taken away by the embodiment of corruption, Cheche, when he rapes her. Corruption goes unharmed. The death of personal relationships and literature are all too common in the play, and can be attributed to every character who has an integral part in it. The first example of a relationship deteriorating is the marriage of Palomo and Conchita. Palomo has cheated on Conchita, and by the middle of the play, Conchita cheats on Palomo with Juan Julian while he husband witnesses the act (45). Although this relationship discontinues out of passion rather than monetary interest, the theme of relationships breaking apart makes a continuous and repeated appearance in the play. When Marela elaborates why Cheche acted so repulsively towards Juan Julian on the first time they see each other,

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 the theme of destroyed relationships makes another appearance. Marela tells Juan Julian that, His wife ran away from home with a lector (21). The fact that Cheche s wife left him for a lector causes Cheche to dislike all lectors, consequently, causing him to ignore the importance of literature and lectures to the workers in the factory. Anna Karenina, the novel Juan Julian began reading to the workers and ultimately finished by Santiago, which makes an integral part to the development of the story, tells the story of a broken down relationship between Anna and her husband. The death of literature is also very evident to the reader. Juan Julian s murder by Cheche symbolizes the end of an era where lectors had an integral part in the cigar factories. According to Cruz I [Cruz] wanted to concentrate on the role of the lector in the factories. I decided to write about possibly the last lector in Tampa. The lectors were the first to be fired when the Depression began, so I set the play in 1929 (Cruz, Nilo. Interview). The firing of lectors exactly in the time when an economic depression had occurred shows how interconnected education and economy are to each other. Once the economy deteriorates, the first cut made occurs in the educational realm as they are seen as education is deemed unnecessary or extracurricular. Robert M. Pirsig s philosophical novel, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, introduces the reader to the modern American culture, the epitome of economic determinism. The narrator discusses how, in modern technology, luxuries are being assembled by machines that care most for the quantity of the product, rather than the Quality of it. This idea very closely resembles what Marela and Cheche each stands for. The narrator argues that "The result is rather typical of modern technology, an overall dullness of appearance so depressing that it must be overlaid with a veneer of "style" to make it acceptable. And that, to anyone who is sensitive to romantic Quality, just makes it all

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 the worse. Now it's not just depressingly dull, it's also phony. Put the two together and you get a pretty accurate basic description of modern American technology: stylized cars and stylized outboard motors and stylized typewriters and stylized clothes. Stylized refrigerators filled with stylized food in stylized kitchens in stylized homes. Plastic stylized toys for stylized children, who at Christmas and birthdays are in style with their stylish parents. You have to be awfully stylish yourself not to get sick of it once in a while. It's the style that gets you; technological ugliness syruped over with romantic phoniness in an effort to produce beauty and profit by people who, though stylish, don't know where to start because no one has ever told them there's such a thing as Quality in this world and it's real, not style. Quality isn't something you lay on top of subjects and objects like tinsel on a Christmas tree. Real Quality must be the source of the subjects and objects, the cone from which the tree must start. (Pirsig, 237) In other words, this is an indirect reference to economic determinism, which states the ultimate goal of society is to economically prosper through stylizing products that may seem attractive to consumers, but leaving all other aspects of life (mainly quality ) irrelevant. Marela represents Pirsig s idea of Quality while Cheche s perspective connects to the stylization of material products. The novel also has another comparison factor to Cheche and Marela s perspectives, introduced by two differently opinionated characters in the Pirsig s masterpiece. The narrator in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance represents the classical approach, characterized by detailed knowledge of his old motorcycle (symbolizing life), showing extreme care and practical understanding how to maintain it. The classical approach suits the perspectives Cheche holds, hands-on and ambitious in expanding the factory, ignoring all traditions and quality, but understanding productivity leads to expansion. In one

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 instance, Cheche tries to convince the workers of the factory that the machines he intends to bring will apply Modernity. Progress. Advancement (50). The workers reject his planned revolution. The romantic approach, held by the narrator s companion on his motorcycling trip, John Sutherland, portrays a more relaxed approach, letting fate decide what will happen with his brand new motorcycle, relying on mechanics along their journey for maintenance. Marela s approach to life parallels to Sutherland s. Marela represents spirituality and mysticism, relying on the intuitive rather than the factual and tangible. In one of many superstitious acts, Marela tells her mother that she wrote the lector s name on a piece of paper and placed it in a glass of water with brown sugar and cinnamon (14). She believes that the ritual would sweeten his [Juan Julian] fate (15). The classical approach is what the world has turned into, while the romantic has been swallowed by an industrialized monster in the form of machines. In the modern world, obsession with luxuries and tangible property has dominated the world of tradition and culture. Globalization makes cultural differences become smaller and smaller, stomping on ethnical and regional cultures and traditions as the world advances. This world is inhabited by people with two perspectives; the classical and romantic , which are extremely different. On the one hand we have the artists, obsessed with the spiritual and very intuitive. An example from Anna in the Tropics is Marela. On the opposite side stand out the people better at mathematics, whom might be judged as having a shallow reality, but are very practical. These are the ruthless businessmen, the government representatives, the ones basically ruling our world. In the play, it is clearly understood what character represents what perspective. Cruz staged these characters together purposely to make

Kobbi Gal EN 102 12/3/11 Essay B1 evident the transformation of our society, from a cultural and traditional one, to a culture obsessed with tangible luxuries, an economic determined society. He used traditional Cuban immigrants, who care most about the quality of their cigars to represent the old perception and a half-American boss to represent the necessary change to modernity. Modernism has digested culture, just look at what culture values in this day and age.