Ana Castillo’s So Far From God presented a unique perspective. This perspective is the first hand experience of Chicanas living in the United States. So Far From God presents the story of four Chicanas living in New Mexico and the way that they live their lives. The four daughters, Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and La Loca, all experience different things in life. The four daughters all present different ways of life but they all serve to show different Chicana perspectives. I thought that the way the book presented the story of the daughter’s was very unique and made it very easy to understand the Chicana perspective. What stood out the most to me about these readings was the ideas related to the curandera Doña Felicia. I found this part to be the most interesting. Doña Felicia is an older woman who becomes the mentor of Caridad. Felicia plans on teaching Caridad her ways of healing. In chapter three, they talk about the remedies that Doña Felicia plans to teach to Caridad. Some of the remedies that are included are those to cure mal de ojo and empacho. These ways of healing used by Doña Felicia are a good representation of the folklore concepts found in Chicano/a culture. The idea of using unique methods of healing to cure certain illnesses is a very folkloric concept. I felt that this part was a good representation of ideas that aren’t really brought up when describing Chicano/a culture. Folklore’s influence on the culture of Chicanas and Chicanos tends to be overlooked. Doña Felicia and her healing methods serve as a representation of the folklore that plays a major role in Chicano/a culture and society. The way Doña Felicia and her teachings were presented in the book were what really stood out to me during this reading.
My questions are:
What is your perspective on the different methods of healing, similar to those of Doña Felicia, that are used in Chicano/a culture? Do you believe that they are actually effective or just old ideas that don’t really do anything?
Have you ever taken the chicana/o folklore class? I love all the healing remedies my grandma and mother do, i’m not sure if they actually work but in our minds they work. They always make me this weird tea whenever my stomach hurts and i swear it works my sisters the one who always says its just in our minds and that it doesn’t actually work. i like to believe that all the remedies my grandmother and mother make do work.
Hi Lenin,
In the book, So Far From God I found the character of Dona Felicia to be very interesting especially her healing methods. Healing methods and rituals are constantly used in the Mexican culture. Growing up in a Mexican family I would always here about el mal de ojo and remedies to heal el empacho. In fact, my mother would use different remedies that were passed on to her to heal from empacho. Still till today As for el mal de ojo people use still use healing methods against it such as limpias or protective bracelets which are very common mostly in babies. I do believe that they are effective because people still use them to heal as well. Spiritual and herbal healing is present in the Mexican culture. People still do limpias with the rubbing egg to combat all bad.
I like the connection you make between Dona Felicia, the healer/curandera, and folklore. Excellent observation. It is important that we make these connections as these remedies are folk items, and a part of our sociocultural customs (traditions and beliefs). These remedies are very effective healing methods. My grandma has all kind of remedies for illnesses (Savila, just one plant, that was very effective for healing). Similar to Dona Felicia, my grandmother, though she did not have a formal education, only went up to the 3rd grade, has spread so much knowledge, in terms of remedies for illnesses, and other things connected to the culture, something Delgado Bernal (1997) calls Pedagogies of the Home. Often times we overlook the teachings of the home, especially our teachers, the elderly, or our parents, who are wise, who know a lot, as evidenced by Dona Felicia’s character in the book. Dona Felicia represents a woman who is wise, someone with a lot of knowledge, important knowledge, which keeps our culture alive. She may not have a medical degree, with a formal educational background, but, her methods of healing, have been used for centuries, rooted in Native indigenous traditions and beliefs (customs).
Hello,
My perspective on the different methods of healing used in the Chicana/o culture is that such remedies and ways to cure sicknesses without seeing a doctor are outstanding. Of course, I believe that these remedies are actually effective because my grandmother, mother, and most of the women in my family use different healing methods. For example, when I went to Mexico I got really sick because my body was not accustomed to the food there, however, my grandmother gave me a herbal tea to cure me. Even here my mother has several plants in our garden that she uses whenever, my dad is hurt, or whenever we are sick. I honestly dislike the flavor of the teas that my mother makes me drink, but they are effective in healing whatever sickness I have.
Hi!
Thank you for such an insightful reflection on Ana Castillo’s “So Far From God.” Doña Felicia’s healing strategies were really refreshing to read about especially since they reminded me so much about my family. The healing practices that she uses are her way of keeping her culture alive for the newer generations. I definitely would not consider them outdated beliefs because that would be a form of disrespecting the traditions my ancestors started centuries ago. My mother is a big believer in spiritual cleansings so whenever someone in our home is feeling a little uneasy, she pops out her sage and helps us get in tune with our bodies by running the smoke all over us. Believe it or not, this form of healing has caused me the greatest sense of comfort and relief during times where I was in desperate need of it. We also have a daily routine where we both make tea at night and drink it right before bed. She got me into the habit of doing this because she thought drinking tea would relieve my stress and anxiety and keep me from getting sick the next day. I know for a fact this is a tradition I hope to pass down to my kids in the future because I think it brought great enlightenment into my life.