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- 1. Early on, we encounter the author’s loss of innocence, as political tensions begin to explode in violence and threaten the almost idyllic world of the Havana elite that Eire inhabits. But even in that idyll, as the author takes part in normal childhood exploits, there is a sense of pleasure and danger resting hand in hand — a powerful concoction. How do these lessons of Eire’s early youth serve him during the dramatic changes of his young adulthood?
There is a sense of both pleasure and danger at the same time because, being part of the elite class, Carlos is sheltered from the tumultuous political tensions that are erupting in Cuba. Despite his seclusion from the danger in other parts of the island, Carlos still understands the gravity of the situation, especially when an escaping man begs to be given shelter. Carlos was placed in perilous situations more than once during his time in Cuba. In my opinion, these situations led to him being a stronger and more independent person, which helped once he was on his own in the United States.
- 2. How does memory work in Eire’s story? How do memories of pleasure and of danger live in him? Do they reconcile each other, or does one trump the other in the end?
Carlos wrote this memoir about his childhood when he was an adult, so he was able to pick out stories that were influential or memorable to him later on in life. There is a fair balance of good and bad memories in the novel, just as there are good and bad memories in every one’s life. No matter the type of memory, these events of Carlos’ childhood were significant to his growth as a human being.
- 3. History — particularly the violence of the past — plays a big part in Eire’s parents’ imaginations and in how they choose to live. They refer to themselves as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and their house is full of objects that project a powerful, almost living sense of Christ’s suffering. Then modern violence disrupts the family. How do they both use the lessons of Christ and their “past lives” or alter egos to act in the present crisis?
It seems only fitting that Carlos’ father, who is a judge, is referred to as King Louis XVI. Carlos repeatedly refers to the guillotine when talking about how his father reacts to certain situations. Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were also highly elite, just like Carlos’ parents when they lived in Cuba. Eventually, both of these royal members were decapitated. Castro’s communist regime took everything away from the one elite Eire family, and when they were all split up, it was like a decapitation of the family unit. The symbolism of the French royalty is pertinent throughout the whole novel.
- 4. Eire uses lizards to embody “perfect metaphors” in his memoir. Lizards are often passive, most often despised, and always pitiful victims of others’ misguided exercises of power. And yet it is a species of great resilience, powerful in its presence in Cuban lives. Who and what is the lizard ultimately in Eire’s imagination?
In an e-mail I received from Carlos Eire, he said, “The lizards represent all the things in this world that we don’t like and would like to eliminate, but can’t. They may even be good for us, despite our hatred of them. So we need to embrace them.”
- 5. Some readers will understand this as a tale of the innocent victim (because Eire is a child), of a necessary, however flawed, stake at justice for the victims of the Batista regime and of colonialism, as many Black Cubans are the very near descendants of slaves. Eire speaks of how his family profited directly from others’ suffering. And then the tables are turned. How do you reconcile the grievances of both groups? Is the author able to transcend his sense of personal rage? How might writing be his own intimate stake at justice?
Once communism enters Cuba, the playing field is leveled for all socio-economic classes. The once elite are now dirt poor like the rest of society because everyone is equal. The poor never get any richer, but they are now just like every one else. Carlos also goes to the bottom of the economic ladder when he enters the United States as an orphan. Later, when he moves to Chicago with Tony and his mother, they are very poor, but are at least happy to be free, which is a moral reconciliation.
- 6. Justice is something passionately sought by many in his family: by his aunt who is a consummate activist; by his father, the judge and Louis XVI incarnate; by his uncle who offers an ultimate insult in the face of the firing squad. How do they inform Eire’s struggle?
Justice was a very important aspect of the Eire family, especially since Louis XVI was a judge who could allegedly tell if a person was guilty or innocent immediately. When Carlos is little and starts becoming a kleptomaniac, his parents force him to return the stolen goods and apologize to the store owners. The fact that justice was stressed led to Carlos developing good morals, which were useful when he was in the United States.
- 7. How do you piece together Eire’s deep and complicated sense of rage for his father, who is symbolized by and is a symbol for his fatherland?
Eire has a sense of rage for his father because he adopted Ernesto, a little boy who Carlos thought of as a pervert. This may be a symbolism for a hatred of the fatherland because the Cuban people readily welcomed Castro into power at first. Despite this hatred, Carlos still forgives his father because he is his father just as he forgives Cubans, because that is his country and they are his people.
- 8. Eire is keenly aware of race and color. But he does not have a true understanding of the psychological and economic costs of racial/ethnic bigotry and oppression until he is on American soil, where he becomes poor and a “Spic.” What does he do with this new understanding?
Once he has been called a “Spic,” Carlos sees how the lower class of Cuba must felt when they were the victims of racial and economic discrimination. He develops more empathy toward the lower class as well as trying harder to overcome these troubles by advancing in school and work at the same time.
- 9. Eire reveals his anger and contempt for his adopted brother Ernesto who, though it is somewhat cryptically relayed, has sexually molested him. He says that the revelation of this abuse causes his father to turn against him, in favor of Ernesto. These events coincide with Castro’s revolution and his sense of violation by his fatherland. This is followed by his father’s more ultimate act — feverishly collecting personal treasures — artifacts — as he passively allows his sons to be swept away from him. It is a struggle that is resonant with Biblical events and almost Biblical in proportion. What do you make of this difficulty of reconciling such deep and inseparable betrayals?
Eire has a sense of rage for his father because he adopted Ernesto, a little boy who Carlos thought of as a pervert. This may be a symbolism for a hatred of the fatherland because the Cuban people readily welcomed Castro into power at first. Ultimately, the bible tells people to forgive, so Eire forgives his father just as he forgives Cubans at large for their mistake.
10. Eire talks about his parents’ different legacies: his mother is the daughter of Spanish émigrés, conceived on their transatlantic passage, while his father’s family has been rooted in Cuba for many generations. His mother’s impulse is to be forward-looking, privileging the modern, and, as its symbol, the American. His father “favored the past, fought against the present, ignored the future.” How do these impulses play out in the family’s ultimate dissolution?
Ultimately, Louis XVI chooses to remain in Cuba because his family has been rooted there for generations. He wanted to believe that Cuba would return to its previous glory. Marie Antoinette, however, knew that she had to get away to a place that had more of a future. For this reason, she chose to make her way to the United States. The family was forced to split up because of the differences in the parents’ legacies.
11. The author struggles with the past, seeking understanding in Biblical ideas, and in the idea he introduces on p. 64 — that conflict and journey are inevitable and are sparks of love. In the end, do you feel he is to achieve this reconciliation? What lessons do we learn that may help us in our own struggles to come to terms with the tragedies in our own lives?
The idea that conflict and journey are inevitable and are both sparks of love is definitely true in Carlos’ case. Castro’s takeover of Cuba was the conflict, and his flight on Pedro Pan was the journey. Although these may seem like traumatic events, there was good that came out of it. By moving to America, Carlos meets his wife and is able to raise a family in a safe and stable environment.
Cuba BC (Before Castro)
Before Castro took over in January, 1959, Cuba was regarded as a “tropical playground.” The island had it all: sandy beaches, elaborate hotels, and nightlife like no other. Under Batista’s government, life was a breeze; but only if you had the money. My grandmother, Helena Cellini, recalls, “Under Batista, the rich became richer, but the poor became poorer.” Although he established a corrupt dictatorship, Batista did promote economic growth and developed Havana’s infrastructure. Most of the buildings that still stand today were ordered to be constructed by Fulgencio Batista during Cuba’s golden age. Batista also passed laws with tax breaks and subsidies that led to a rush of American investors who wanted to make Havana the Las Vegas of the Caribbean. This influx led to a demand of managers to run the newly opened casinos. My grandfather, Dino Cellini, who was an expert in the gaming business, was first approached about a job in Havana in 1946. Initially he declined the offer because he had to finish up a job in Miami, but he recommended his younger brother, Eddie. Eddie didn’t like the island, and left after about six months, just as my grandfather was finishing up in Miami. My grandfather took the job and decided to move his family to Havana in 1947.
We boarded the flight to Havana this morning, leaving our friends and family behind in Miami. I am nervous about this new adventure, for I know nothing about the language and culture of the country that is only 90 miles away from my own. My husband has gotten a wonderful job offer in the casinos of Havana, which he says will be as big as those in Las Vegas one day. We’ll see. For now, I must stand by his side and watch over our infant daughter, as we make the move to this new foreign country.
After a few years in Cuba, my grandfather got a job offer to manage the casino at the Tropicana hotel, which is regarded by some as the most fabulous club in the world. It was thought of as a magical place. Martin Fox, the owner of the famous nightclub, lived across the street from my grandmother in Miramar, and had heard about the expertise that my grandfather had in the gaming business. He approached my grandfather and offered him the nighttime manager job. This position was held in high regard in the business because he was basically running a world famous club.
Life in Cuba is as close to perfect as it can be. Since Dino is the nighttime manager of the Tropicana, we go there almost every night. The club is filled with beautiful people. Performers such as Celia Cruz and Nat King Cole have performed, and we have seen guests such as Earnest Hemingway and Ava Gardner. The casino’s lights at night shine like the sun, guiding the locals and tourists alike into its trap.
My grandfather was working for Martin Fox when Meyer Lansky sent word that he was opening a new hotel in Havana called the Riviera. Meyer was a good friend of my grandfather’s and so he went to work in the hotel’s casino. Meyer Lansky was sometimes criticized for running dishonest operations, but as long as my grandfather knew him, he was nothing of the sort. My grandmother says, “Meyer settled for nothing less than perfection when it came to his casinos. He wanted it to be as spotless as the stainless steel kitchen he had.”
Dino is now working for our longtime friend Meyer Lansky. Life continues to be great and we are financially ahead. It seems like nothing can go wrong here.
On New Year’s Eve of 1958, my grandmother was on her way to a party with her friends while my grandfather was at work. They got into a car accident and were taken to jail. It was while they were in jail that they learned Batista had fled the island because of political pressure. When she spoke to my grandfather, he explained that things would be changing, and very quickly.
My friend’s husband who was visiting insisted that he should drive us to the party that night. He was clearly just trying to be a macho man. At that time, there were no stop lights in Havana, so every one had to stop at intersections and honk to see if anyone was approaching from another direction. The driver did not do this, and we ended up getting into an accident. We were taken to jail by the police, but at that time, you were taken to jail for everything. I was not able to get a hold of Dino for a while, but I was not worried because I knew that New Years was a busy night in the casino. At about 3 o’clock in the morning, Dino called and said something serious had occurred that night. President Batista had fled the island on a chartered plane and the rebels had won control of the government. We knew our life in Cuba would never be the same since the investors would pull out of the casinos once more restrictions were put into place. The future was uncertain for us.
Fidel Castro entered Havana on January 8, 1959. The poor welcomed him as a change to Batista’s regime, under which they were given no rights. The wealthy knew that the communist society would take away everything they had. Wealthy foreigners rapidly began to flee from the island before Castro was able to take too much away from them.
Fidel Castro entered the city with his troops about a week after Batista suddenly fled. We lived under his regime for about a year. During that year, we saw the huge change, but we were not there long enough to experience too much of a loss. Meyer left almost immediately after Castro arrived, sure that the Riviera would be negatively affected by this change. Our youngest daughter, Dina, was only three years old at this time, so she did not understand what was really going on. When Fidel and his bearded soldiers would parade down the streets in their motorcades, she would get excited and exclaim, “Mira Mama! Fidel Castro Ruz!”
My grandfather was held in a prison camp called Tresconia because he was openly against Castro. He was a capitalist, but did not flee because he, like many others, thought that Castro would fall after about a year, and then things would go back to the way they were before.
Dino is being held in a prison camp called Tresconia because he has spoken out against Castro and stands for capitalism. I told Donna, Marcellina, and Ricky, the oldest three children, that their father was away on a business trip. I was called into Donna’s school today because it seems as though someone told her that her father was a criminal. It seems as though Dino’s captivity made the news, and one of Donna’s fellow students saw it and told her. She has been hysterical. I have to remind her that her father is not being held for doing something wrong. He is doing the right thing, but the government wants to silence his voice. I think she finally calmed down and understood what was going on, and I could tell she was very proud of her father.
My family finally left Cuba in December of 1959, when my mother was only three years old. They fled to Miami since we had family that lived there. They were convinced that they would return to Cuba after Castro was overthrown. History shows us that they never made it back to live in Cuba after they left. They are very lucky to have been able to leave with some of their possessions, however, because many who left after them were not as lucky. Although we are not Cuban, my family feels a strong bond to the once beautiful island. We hope to go back and visit one day when my grandmother can show us the places that at one point were filled with beautiful people and wonderful memories.
Dino came home today from work and told me it was time for us to leave. He said he got a serious call from his old employer and friend Martin Fox. Martin told him, “Dino, Fidel and his ‘barbudos’ are doing not so nice things. You have a young wife and a thirteen year old daughter. They could get hurt, so you need to get them out of here before conditions deteriorate even further. I did not disagree or complain, but we packed a few bags and caught an early flight in the morning. Dino has planned to stay through the New Year and then follow us back to Miami. I do not think we are leaving Cuba forever, maybe six months at most until things settle down. Just in case, though, I have bought a house in Miami where we can stay until we can return. As our plane now takes off I find myself remembering the day we first arrived Cuba almost thirteen years ago. Things have changed and it looks as if they might get worse before they get better, but I take comfort in knowing my family and I were able to get out of there while we could.
Metacognition
Throughout the course of the year in AP World History, I feel as though I have refined specific skills that are essential for any AP history student, but I know that there are certain habits of mind that I must improve as I continue on the path of advance placement courses.
This course has allowed me to refine my ability to comprehend the interplay of change and continuity over time. The writing portion of the AP exam included a change over time essay, which made me focus in on the aspects of civilization that had remained the same as well as those that had transformed. Another skill of mine that has improved is my analysis of readings based on point of view, time written, and historical events of the times. This helped me in the DBQ portion of the exam because I was able to quickly analyze a document that I had never seen before.
Despite this progress, there are of course areas that could use improvement. I think I sometimes continue to make hasty generalizations, which should not be done. I should also improve in geography so I can better understand how the placement of people affects history. If I work on these areas, I think I will be able to excel further along in my advance placement history classes.
Carlos Eire’s Reply to my E-mail
Dear Columbia:
Thanks for letting me know how much you have enjoyed my book, and what a
difference it has made in your life. You have brightened up a very cold
and rainy day here in Prague, where I am on a study abroad program.
Long way from Miramar. But this is where Fidel sent his oldest son,
Fidelito, to study. It’s where my parents feared I might end up.
Anyway, to answer your questions:
Ernesto’s name has nothing to do with Che. It’s just a name. And he is
a real person, Ernesto, not a metaphor.
The lizards, on the other hand, stand for many, many things. Good
metaphors have inexhaustible meaning, even meanings the author himself
could not imagine. If any teacher tells you differently, tell them that
a writer told you they were dead wrong. I’ve had many readers point out
hidden meanings in my lizards that never crossed my mind but are
perfectly on target.
One obvious meaning I had in mind: the lizards represent all the things
in this world that we don’t like and would like to eliminate, but
can’t. They may even be good for us, despite our hatred of them. So
we need to embrace them. The real title of the book, which the
publisher refused to use, was “Kiss the Lizard, Jesus.” In the first
draft I used pseudonymns for everyone, including myself, and my name was
Chucho, which is the Cuban nickname for Jesus. You know: hey-zeus
versus Jesus. Play on words and names. The publisher thought the title
was disgusting. I think it’s perfect.
On the people in the book:
My brother Tony is very ill. He had a heart attack in November,
followed by bypass surgery He is recovering, but has congestive heart
failure, which is incurable.
My mother died in May 2005.
Her sister Lily died in 2004.
Her brother Mario still lives in Havana, all alone at 83, struggling to
survive.
My friend Rafael Aguilera died last year. Congestive heart failure.
Gerardo Aulet lives in Miami, and is a successful architect. Eugenio
Godoy is a physician. Manuel Aguilera is a semi-pro cyclist, still
doing races at 62.
I know nothing about Ernesto, except that he has sold off all of my
father’s collection (even though it is illegal), and traded our house
for another one. So I am told.
Blackie the Chimp ended up at the Havana zoo, where he starved to
death. He went into a deep depression after being sent to the zoo and
stopped eating. Another victim of the revolution.
All the best to you and your family. Un abrazo Cubano,
Carlos
Quiz on Waiting for Snow in Havana
1. 3 conflicts and describe:
1. One day a man came up to Carlos and his friend Jorge and said he has to “take a leak.” Jorge and Carlos were ignorant and did not see the danger of leading a stranger into a dark corner behind the empty lot. The stranger wanted Carlos to “help him pee,” but El Loco, the homeless man that lived in Miramar, Carlos and Tony’s neighborhood, saved them just in time.
2. Louis XVI made spit guns for Carlos, Tony, and their friends to use as entertainment. This came after the Revolution had begun, so many items were rationed. One that was not rationed was peas. Because there was a seemingly endless supply of peas, these were used as ammunition for the young boys. They went into the park and Carlos saw a women who they called “The Butt” because of her large backside. All at once the five boys shot The Butt with their pea guns and each one hit their mark. The Butt was upset and threatened to call the militiamen. This scared Louis XVI a lot.
3. Ernesto was disliked by everyone in the family except Louis XVI. Carlos referred to him as a pervert because he repeatedly assaulted him. When Ernesto was adopted, it hurt the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI a lot.
2. 3 Motifs and describe:
1. Carlos repeatedly tries to kill lizards and exemplify his dislike for the species. It seems as though they sit by and simply watch the torture being done to others without doing anything about it. I believe the lizards may symbolize the Cuban people and their ignorance during Castro’s ongoing regime.
2. When Tony, Carlos, and Marie Antoinette visit their Uncle Amado, they go swimming. Tony decides to swim out so far that his head seems to be a tiny speck on the horizon. It is a memory that Tony repeatedly recalls when he is near death later in life.
3. Carlos and his friends used to have breadfruit fights when they were in Havana because their neighbor grew them on his tree. One day, shortly before they left Cuba, the five boys had a huge breadfruit battle where they were all against each other. They made forts behind other houses’ walls, gathered a supply, and fought until there was no ammunition left. By the end, the whole street was filled with breadfruit, but the boys did not mind having to clean up the whole street. It is a memory that Carlos refers to when he is upset.
3. 1 Major and 1 minor theme:
Major: Freedom (growing up and leaving Cuba as well as the lack of freedom in Cuba)
Minor: Survival (once he is in the United States and also when he has to survive the bullies of school)
4. Describe 2 or 3 moments in which Eire describes his childhood in a way that is unexpected (in an adult voice)
1. Eire’s incorporation of religion in the memoir is sometimes unexpected. When young Carlos talks about seeing Jesus outside his dining room repeatedly, it seems strange that a young boy of five years old would have such a graphic memory of “Jesus H. Christ.” Now that he is a professor of religious studies at Yale, maybe it is his adult voice coming out in the way he talks about that instance as well as the six proofs of God’s existence.
2. Most kids love to play in the mud and explore reptiles. It is very surprising that Carlos had such an extreme dislike for lizards, which can lead one to believe that they are not literal lizards, but rather a figurative lizard with an important symbolism.
5. Discuss the theme of humor using examples:
The theme of humor is present throughout the whole novel in an attempt to lighten up the dark and depressing actions that happened. Eire was forced to leave his family and be thrust into adulthood at a very young age. The message is very serious and possibly hurtful to him because, even though he reunited with his mother, his father remained in Cuba. The incorporation of humor allows the book to be less depressing, and makes it feel more like an immature kid is writing the story in his own voice. The humorous incidents with The Butt and the breadfruit fight were good to cancel out the dark stories about changing money, leaving the family, and being assaulted by a stranger with a knife.
Update on Virtual Memoir- HELP!
My driving question for my virtual memoir is, “What was Cuba like before Castro?” and, “What happened in that first week of January 1959 when he took rule of the island?” I’m taking my Grandmother and Aunt out to dinner at Little Havana on Thursday night so I can pick their brains about their memories while living there.
I need your help though…What questions should I ask them about their time living there? What would you be interested in finding out? Comment and let me know =)
Review on Waiting for Snow in Havana (So Far)
I’m up to chapter 25 of Waiting for Snow in Havana, so I’m finally starting to get used to Carlos Eire’s style of writing, which is probably similar to many other memoirs. There are aspects of this book that I like, but of course there are just as many that I dislike. We’ll start with the pros… I really like the way Eire feels like he is talking directly to you in a conversation. His extraneous commentary make the mood of the book light and entertaining despite the serious subject and the personal pain it probably causes him. Now the not-so-goods… Some chapters are too long and bounce back and fourth between stories. Also, the chapters are not in chronological order so it can get very confusing. Sometimes I find myself asking, “Now is this before or after Castro?” Although there are many funny parts to this book, sometimes it feels more like a collection of memories with no plot line. Maybe as I get further into it there will be a storyline that develops.
Quote on Communism
“Capitalism and communism stand at opposite poles. Their essential difference is this: The communist, seeing the rich man and his fine home, says: ‘No man should have so much.’ The capitalist, seeing the same thing, says: ‘All men should have as much.’ ” -Phelps Adams
What do you think about this quote? How do the differences between the perceptions of the United States (capitalist) and Cuba (communist) exemplify this?
Memories
While reading the memoir, Waiting for Snow in Havana, I cannot help but realize that Carlos Eire remembers so much about his childhood. His memory of getting his head stuck in the pew at church was from when he was just in preschool. How does someone in their fifties remember events from such a long time ago. It is astonishing to me when my grandma recounts events from her childhood. I can barely remember what happened last week much less something that happened thirteen years ago. When I’m old I’m afraid I won’t be able to remember as many events from my childhood. That would really stink. Maybe I’m suffering from early memory loss. Oh no! Wait…what was I talking about??
