The Kiss

Julia Alvarez’s “The Kiss” - I found “The Kiss” a very interesting story dealing primarily with themes of culture as well as identity portraying the immigrant experience of coming to America. The most interesting character in the story in my opinion would have to be Sofia. She seems to be the biggest rebel of the family and appears to have a very peculiar relationship with her father. There was some definite turbulence early on in the relationship and in my opinion only progressed for the worst throughout the story. I mean when the father resorts to looking through his daughter’s private possessions in an attempt to find out secrets about her then there is a definite problem. There is obviously way too much distance between them that seems to be unfixable. Papi is a man of traditional values that he learned in his home country growing up. Because of this he has a hard time understanding the lifestyle that Sofia chooses to live. Sofia is totally different from her other sisters who seem really quiet as well as reserved. Soifa was also the first to leave home even though she is the youngest daughter. I think that because of her father’s ridiculous attempts to restrict her she became more rebellious and probably did things she wouldn’t of done had she not had a strict father. She had constant boyfriends according to the text. I think also that there is a clash of cultures in the story judging from Papi’s idea of what is acceptable from growing up in the old country, versus Sofia who is being raised in America with a whole new culture and way of life affecting her. At the end of the party is where the story seems to take a weird and strange turn. At the father’s birthday party they are all playing a game and it seems as if Papi does not include Sofia in his daughter count. This makes Sofia very angry and she ends up giving her father a wet kiss in his ear.

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