Call Me Maria

In the climax and resolution of Call Me María, life in the barrio and María’s past life on the island of Puerto Rico are thrown into sudden conflict when Mami arrives. Through María’s eyes, Ortíz Cofer explores the tension that exists between the immigrant community in New York and their perception of the people who still live on the island of Puerto Rico. Upon her arrival, Mami becomes a manifestation of the Island in the eyes of María’s neighbors, for she is beautiful and inherently separate from the culture of the hard-working people in this New York neighborhood. María, while protective of her mother, is also acutely aware that she herself is somewhat removed from the experiences of the barrio, thanks to her own childhood knowledge of what it is like to grow up in Puerto Rico. The contrast between the two communities is a critical aspect of María’s own growth, for she carries within her the internalized values and perceptions of both cultures. Ultimately, María has to determine for herself how she will fit into her new environment as well as what connection she wants to maintain with her Puerto Rican origins. As the novel moves toward its resolution, María finally makes this decision for herself when she declares that she feels like she is “home” with Papi in New York City (119).

Over the course of the novel, María navigates issues of belonging, family relationships, and questions about personal identity. While there are many difficulties in María’s life, the most central conflict of the novel is revealed in the final poem. María’s navigation of language has been omnipresent throughout the text, and her description of trying to become “rich in English” serves as a concise conclusion to this struggle (127). Throughout her social and cultural development, she remains hyperaware of the ways in which her ability to use language can shape her life in positive ways. In particular, her ability to speak English well is the factor that will control whether or not she will be able to assimilate effectively enough into the dominant culture to achieve her long-term goals. This new understanding connects to her past observations about Papi’s Spanglish, as well as her descriptions of his sadness. Unlike Mami, Papi has found happiness in a multilingual context, yet Mami does not have to contend with the drawbacks of a cold North American climate or the systemic racism that often pervades the United States and profoundly affects the experiences of both María and her father. In contrast to both of her parents, María’s consistent hard work to achieve a bilingual status is what finally allows her to find an internal sense of resolution after her first year in the US.

One of the core elements of the plot of Call Me María is the separation (and eventual divorce) of María’s parents. Over time, María shows growth in her capacity to identify and process her emotions about this process. When Mami’s visit to New York confirms that María’s parents will never again be together as a couple, María is forced to confront her own sadness and anger: another manifestation of the theme of Complex Relationships With Parents. Neither of her parents is equipped to fully support María with this difficult transition, and María has few other adults in her life whom she trusts. María’s description of “el pájaro triste” (118), the sad bird in her chest, is distinctly poetic and stands in sharp contrast to her father’s silent sadness, which he pushes down and refuses to fully acknowledge. Indeed, in his drunken reaction to Mami’s announcement, Papi shows a distinct inability to deal with his own emotions. Thus, María’s internal reflections about her sadness are unique within her family context and serve to emphasize the sensitivity of her poetic nature.

In an interesting twist, several of the concluding sections of the novel focus on María’s own conception of gender roles, as observed via her relationship with Papi. Given her mother’s absence, María is forced to develop a sense of womanhood with few practical role models to serve as a guide. Papi conforms to rigid masculine stereotypes; he is emotionally removed, ignores his feelings, and acts rudely toward María whenever her presence might threaten his masculinity. In her stance as a maturing teenager, María learns from Papi’s behavior and critiques it, at least to herself. In fact, María emphasizes that she feels sorry for him. In many ways, Ortíz Cofer crafts María to be a character who stands outside most societal norms. This characterization is facilitated by María’s complicated family dynamics and her move to New York; throughout her teenage years, she is forced to find her own path and find a way to transcend the conflicting stereotypes, norms, and expectations that surround her. Ortíz Cofer’s decision to show María’s perspective and inner growth thus provides an important example for young readers who may be struggling with similar circumstances.