43 pages • 1 hour read
Judith Ortiz CoferCall Me Maria
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | YA | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Two Islands and Cultural Heritage
One of the core dynamics of the novel is the tension between Puerto Ricans who live in New York (or the wider United States) and Puerto Ricans who live on the island. María’s adjustment to her life in New York includes a transition period as she begins to more clearly understand the “battle between Island Puerto Rico and mainland Puerto Rico” (94). Ortíz Cofer’s choice to portray María’s parents as being representatives of these two perspectives heightens the importance of the conflicting aspects of María’s heritage. María believes that the conflict between the two groups of Puerto Ricans is what “finally drove [her] parents apart” (94).
Maria’s sense of her own cultural background develops over time as she observes the other Puerto Rican people living in New York. For example, she sees that her father seems more comfortable in New York and reflects that he had always “felt out of step with the island Puerto Ricans” (8). After his return to the city, María observes Papi performing a dream-like version of the Island in his songs for the other New York Puerto Ricans and realizes that many of her Puerto Rican neighbors in New York harbor a stylized, idealized image of the Puerto Rico that she knows. Their nostalgic or romanticized perception of the Island seems unrealistic to her, and in many ways, María’s observations are unique to her position as a young person who has lived in both places. Ortíz Cofer chooses to portray María this way in order to highlight the tension that often exists for people who are caught between two similar yet different cultural heritages.
The use of Spanish, English, and Spanglish also emphasizes the dueling cultures in Call Me María. María’s navigation of a new place is punctuated by her reflections on language as she adjusts to an environment in which much of her life must be conducted in English. María describes her connection to her culture through her knowledge of language; for example, she explains, “I know words in two languages. I will not give up either one” (28). María’s resistance to giving up her languages parallels her difficulty with refusing to give up either of her parents, who come from these two different cultures. By including multiple languages in the patchwork tapestry of the narrative, Ortíz Cofer emphasizes the importance of connecting to one’s own cultural heritage through both place and language, and she also illustrates the myriad ways in which immigrant communities shift their sense of heritage as they adapt to a new environment.
Complex Relationships With Parents
The complex relationship that María has with her parents reflects a common thematic element of young adult novels. Adolescents are often navigating their own internal growth as they become more independent while still participating in family norms and rules. Ortíz Cofer portrays María’s life with each of her parents to highlight some of the ways in which children and teenagers adapt to complex and changing relationships with their caregivers. Most of María’s interactions with her mother stem from childhood memories or indirectly via letters, while much of the book centers around María’s day-to-day life with Papi in New York. Additionally, Ortíz Cofer includes several scenes with Abuela, María’s grandmother, who is an important influence in her life and represents a strong connection to her Puerto Rican heritage.
After spending much of her childhood with her mother, María makes the choice to move to New York and live with her father, from whom she feels somewhat disconnected. María’s internal conflict about Papi revolves around whether or not she can embrace the fact that he is part of the barrio and not a part of a major aspect of her own identity—the island of Puerto Rico. Early in the novel, María describes her sadness that “week by week Papi is becoming more a part of this building, this street, this life. He is connecting to the people in ways that do not include me” (17). For María, New York does not feel like her own place, and Papi’s connections to the city and the people separate him from his daughter. María’s frequent references to her own motivation make it clear that she views this experience as part of her personal choice to be successful in life, even if it is difficult for her to live with a parent who is so different from her. Over time, María begins to adapt to Papi and his lifestyle and gains comfort with who he is. Navigating this conflict is an important example for young readers who might also be facing a strained relationship with a parent.
María’s separation from her mother is a source of stress as she navigates her life in New York. As the novel moves toward a conclusion and Mami finally arrives in the city, María’s hope that her mother will come to live with her is destroyed when Mami reveals that she will be staying in Puerto Rico and getting married to another man. Faced with this unwelcome news, María describes “la tristeza” inside her (118). While María wants to express herself angrily, her struggle remains an internal one, and she tries to enjoy these rare moments with her mother despite the circumstances. Overall, this reaction is similar to how she navigates most conflicts—quietly and by herself—primarily using her letters and poems to express herself. Ortíz Cofer’s unique choice of novel structure functions to open up María’s perspective in a range of unique ways. In particular, María’s navigation of her complex relationships with her parents is a critical theme for young readers who might be processing their own complicated family dynamics.
Navigating School as an Immigrant
Ortíz Cofer’s portrayal of María’s school experiences establishes a critical theme of the novel, which is the difficulty of navigating school as an immigrant, especially when she does not yet speak fluent English. In many of the sections in which María goes to school, she describes the subtle ways in which she is othered. Her confidence in herself as a poet provides the resolution to this conflict: She becomes surer that she can express herself and that there are people who should hear her words. Yet before poetry takes such a prime space in her life and her thoughts, María struggles to find her place and wrestles with difficult interactions with teachers and peers.
One of the most intense school scenes takes place in María’s science class, in which her teacher miscalculates in her attempts to defuse an awkward situation and instead turns María into a kind of specimen. María feels excited at first at the idea that her strand of hair will “become poetry” under the microscope (77). Instead, however, her classmates tease her “about the tropical rain forest / on [her] beautiful head” (77). The racist, xenophobic nature of her classmates’ teasing embarrasses María. This interaction, like others, makes her keenly feel her status as “a foreigner” (116). Throughout these difficult school scenes, Ortíz Cofer also provides examples of what teachers can do to make students feel welcomed and safe. María’s English teacher, Mr. Golden, affirms her identity and makes space for all students’ voices in his classroom. The contrast between María’s class experiences with different teachers illustrates how profound a role schools play in building or destroying students’ confidence.
In the conclusion of the novel, María articulates her own newfound confidence, both in school and out, in a poem that reflects her growing comfort with English. She describes her future self as being able to speak and write as if she “had been born / rich in English” (127). This specific metaphor serves as a contrast to María’s past experiences in school, where she struggles to express herself or to fit in as a result of being an immigrant. Through María’s experiences, Ortíz Cofer shows young readers how they can find confidence in themselves, and she also shows adult readers ways in which they can support all young people, especially immigrants, in the difficult transition to adulthood.
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