Literary Critique of “How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents”

Julia Alvarez’s novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, a semi-autobiographical account of a family’s immigration to America, begins in 1989 with a visit to the Dominican Republic. The novel is a series of short stories, presented in reverse chronological order. Each focuses on a different family member: Papi, Mami, and their four daughters, Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofia. The family arrives in New York in 1960 after their father’s attempt to overthrow Dominican dictator Geralissimo Trujillo forces the family into exile. In the Dominican Republic, the Garcia family lived comfortably, taking advantage of opportunities afforded to them because of their genteel status. The Dominican culture takes center stage in a series of stories of the family’s homeland and each story unveils the differences between Dominican and American culture. As the girls grow up in America, struggling to exist in a new culture where skin color matters and language is a barrier, each symbolically loses her accent.

Alvarez’s novel is a powerful story of individual struggles to bridge cultural gaps and build identity. In addition to telling an intricate story of culture clash during the social and sexual revolution of the 1960s, Alvarez reveals the power of family during times of change and transformation. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent provides an excellent opportunity to explore the issues of culture, race, gender, family, war, and change. Add it to your reading list. You’ll be glad you did.