Yoani Sanches

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Role of Religion in Waiting for Snow in Havana

As I continue reading this Cuban- centralized novel, I begin o notice the tremendous role that religion takes throughout the book. Beginning with his nightmares which include Jesus entering his bedroom, bloody cross and everything, Carlos's life is completely surrounded with religion. One way this is true is because young children hear myths of Cuba's paradise in their homes saying that "the Garden of Eden was here in Cuba, and that Adam and Eve were not only the first humans, but also the first Cuban, and that the entire human race is Cuban" (25). In addition, "The Christian Brothers ran several school in Cuba," (26), demonstrating the power that the church has over the country, for once you rule over the education you gain an incredible amount of control over the entire nation. Another comment made by Carlos, showing his sense of religious background is: "Original sin had us by the throat," (29). In conclusion, we can say that the influence of the Christian religion in Cuba, specifically Havana, was tremendous all throughout the late 1950's and 1960's.

Waiting for Snow in Havana #2

As I continue reading this novel I think about the importance of the European culture and its influence on this Cuban family. For instance, the fact that the protagonist's mother calls herself Marie Antoinette and that the father calls himself Louis XVI, and that Cuban folk music is played solely in the kitchen and in the housekeeper's room, says a lot about the great impact the colonizers left on the colonized.

Waiting for Snow in Havana #1

As I read the first eight chapters of the novel, Waiting for Snow in Havana, I think to myself about the many hardships and horrifying events that are unspoken and unheard of for us in the United States. As we learned about the actual content of World History, including the 20th century revolution in Cuba as Fidel comes to power, we never focused in on the effects this had on society and the lives of innocent Cuban civilians. I am very interested in the fact that the protagonist’s parents refer to themselves as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette; I hope to keep learning more about this family as well as what they underwent through this tough moment in history.

Cuban Video

As I watched the video made illegally by an American citizen about the life of Cuban inhabitants, I really felt the poverty throughout the communist country of Cuba. There is absolutely no commerce for Fidel's idea about "socialism or death" does not allow for anyone other than the government to advnce economically. During the video it really hurt me how helpless these Cuban citizens actually were, for they actually can not escape their hopeless destiny: their eternal stay in the communist land of Cuba. The only way out, which has become more known and more used throughout the country of Cuba, was to escape ilegally using small, unsafe rafts and arrive to the United States through South Miami.