Alvarez uses the theme of sexuality to illustrate the Garcia girls’ transition from Dominican island beauties to hip American teens. As adolescents the Garcia girls don't get the “birds and bees” talk in the traditional sense, as in the Dominican Republic it would be seen as unnecessary. While Dominican culture may appear to be relaxed, the general views on sex are very outdated and conservative. Both catholicism, the predominant religion among hispanics in the DR and the culture of machismo contribute to a lack of sexual openness among women. From a young age most Dominican girls are presented with one possible role model, the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary is viewed as the template of the prefect woman, i.e a women who freely embraces her own calling; one that promotes her devotion to god, the men in her life and motherhood (conveniently coinciding with the male attitude of machismo). According to the
Alvarez uses the theme of sexuality to illustrate the Garcia girls’ transition from Dominican island beauties to hip American teens. As adolescents the Garcia girls don't get the “birds and bees” talk in the traditional sense, as in the Dominican Republic it would be seen as unnecessary. While Dominican culture may appear to be relaxed, the general views on sex are very outdated and conservative. Both catholicism, the predominant religion among hispanics in the DR and the culture of machismo contribute to a lack of sexual openness among women. From a young age most Dominican girls are presented with one possible role model, the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary is viewed as the template of the prefect woman, i.e a women who freely embraces her own calling; one that promotes her devotion to god, the men in her life and motherhood (conveniently coinciding with the male attitude of machismo). According to the