Reading Response 9/29

               Lyn Di Iorio, through her novel Outside the Bones, takes her readers on a journey to explore the supernatural and the Caribbean magical art of Palo Monte. She also invites her readers to be in the shoes of Fina, the main character and narrator of the novel. Through Fina, the reader is able to see the spiritual and real world that surrounds her. The novel not only entertains with its touch of humor but also grabs the reader’s attention with themes of race, revenge, power, greed, and class. For instance, the theme of race is mentioned when Fina goes to Isis’ birthday party at the park. Fina says, “At the spot Chico had set up for Isis’ birthday party, I noticed an old lady, maybe Jewish, with cropped hair and a cat-eye  glasses reading a book on one of the park benches, next to a raisin-haired mulatto, his five heavy chains and his hands beringed in turquoise, coral, and lapis. In the projects, the mean look on his face would have been a threat. On the park bench he was just local color, part of the idea that the neighborhood was finally integrating” (56).  Fina’s observations of the neighborhood in Manhattan’s Upper West Side demonstrate the treatment mulattos had. Clearly, they once were not accepted in that neighborhood and they continue to represent danger to those in the projects. In addition, the novel represents greatly the Latino community in New York because of Fina’s constant Spanish speaking and presentations of Hispanic foods to the reader.


            I thought that the ending of part two of the novel was full of suspense because of all the secrets being discovered among the characters. It was shocking to find out that it was not Isis but Senator Ferrera who had killed Aurora. When Alba found out she was enraged and decided to kill her father as well. Alba expressed the theme of revenge because she was doing everything possible to destroy the person that killed her mother. Senator Ferrera however, also has a strong role in the novel. He represents greed and power because of his position in social class. Chico says, “I hate you, Ferrera. I hate your family. I hate the millions that you steal from the colony. I hate how you control half the island like a plantation. I hate your maggot white skin. I hate your TV gossip and music that distract islanders from the fact that the Ferreras make up what people think…”(146). In other words, Chico is informing the reader of Ferrera’s strong power over the people in Puerto Rico and his greed in stealing money that is meant to be for the people. Senator Ferrera is a corrupt politician and criminal in Puerto Rico that gets away with his actions just because he is rich.  Chico however, due to lack of power and lower social class had to run away for years from Ferrara just because he had been with his wife, Isis.