41 pages 1 hour read

Ana Castillo

So Far from God

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1993

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“She prayed for Tom, because like so many hispanos, nuevo mexicanos, whatever he wanted to call himself, something about giving himself over to a woman was worse than having lunch with the devil.”


(Chapter 1, Page 32)

At this point, Tom has just broken up with Fe. These lines point to the idea that becoming truly close to a woman, as through marriage,represents a death of self for males. “Giving himself” to Fe would be worse than any other fate because it threatens Tom’s conception of his own masculinity. 

Quotation Mark Icon

“For those with charity in their hearts, the mutilation of the lovely young woman was akin to martyrdom.”


(Chapter 1, Page 33)

These lines point to the double standards of this community. Caridad’s mutilation is like “martyrdom” because this community both glorifies and objectifies female beauty. Ironically, however, this same community condemned Caridad for sleeping with many men, thus shaming her for using this same body.

Quotation Mark Icon

“She was beginning to feel like part of a ritual in which she herself participated as an unsuspecting symbol, like a staff or a rattle or medicine.”


(Chapter 1, Page 36)

Here, Esperanza comments on her lack of true agency in her relationship with Rubén. She compares her body to the objects used in the Native-American Church ceremonies. She feels like a ritual object in their relationship becauseRuben uses her when he needs her but discards her when he does not.

Related Titles

By Ana Castillo

Study Guide

logo

The Guardians

Ana Castillo

The Guardians

Ana Castillo

Study Guide

logo

The Mixquiahuala Letters

Ana Castillo

The Mixquiahuala Letters

Ana Castillo