Socialization in Caramelo

The family perpetuates adherence to unique gender roles related to sexuality in which females are held more responsible than males for lack of chastity. And even though Inocencio Reyes’ family does not adhere strictly to Catholicism—Lala mentions that unlike her aunts, her mother does not hang pictures of the saints or the Virgin Guadalupe— the the Church still remains a powerful force on sexual practices in the family.

Expectations for Celaya

Celaya is expected to remain a virgin until she marries. Or, more importantly, she is expected not to become pregnant, so any promiscuity can remain secret and the Reyes family can retain respectability. This expectation is not nearly as strong for Celaya’s brothers or the other Reyes men as it is for her, due to prescribed gender roles. Her father says, “If you leave alone, you leave like…como una prostituta” (360).

Even when Celaya simply suggests she is interested in traveling or living away from her family, it is assumed she wishes to become promiscuous. And when Celaya runs away with Ernesto, the family is outraged. The shame the family experiences at Celaya’s actions is so overwhelming that the situation is hardly talked about; instead, Celaya is subjected to silence. Celaya’s rendezvous is treated as too shameful to mention. She says, “Nobody mentions my ‘abduction’” (399).

The family is significantly less disappointed or ashamed with Celaya’s brother, however, when his fiancée becomes pregnant. That is, the expectation to remain chaste is not nearly as strong for men as it is for women.

And when Celaya expects her father or brothers to express disgust or anger toward Ernesto, holding him partially responsible for the situation, she receives the full blame instead: “Memo marches into the room first, shaking his head like I’m an idiot…like I’m too stupid to talk to” (394). She is held fully responsible for the sin and shame.

Different Expectations for Reyes Men

This is similar to the situations of the Reyes men, including Narciso and Inocencio. Just as it is expected that females will remain chaste and virginal—such as the Virgin de Guadalupe—it seems almost expected that young males will not.

And while the Reyes family and others do not vocalize approval, at least three generations of Reyes men carry on the tradition of sexual relations—and often, children—before marriage. Rather than shaming the young men as Celaya is made to feel ashamed, the evidence of their affairs is eliminated, because the social expectation for females to remain chaste is stronger than the social expectation for men.

Gender roles remain strong, for even the females who experience shame at the hands of the Reyes men carry the brunt of responsibly. This is most dramatically portrayed when Inocencio is not punished for his affair and subsequent fathering of Candelaria. Celaya’s mother tells her, “For crying out loud, she had both the mother and the daughter working for her right under her own roof” (404). The girl and her mother are subject to lives of shame, having to work for the very family of the man who took advantage.

While arguably the Reyes family members do not have ideal relationships with one another—indeed it is a family prone to keeping secrets—the influence of the family is powerful. The ability of traditions and family socialization is significant in Celaya’s life and affair with Ernesto and also in the lives of the Reyes’ men.

Vintage Books/Random House, 2002, 0-67974258-1

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