African Passions Essay | Critical Essay #2

African Passions Critical Essay #2

Kryhoski is currently employed as a freelance writer. In this essay, Kryhoski considers the influence of Santería on Rivera's work.

"African Passions" is the signature piece in a collection of stories by Beatriz Rivera. This story, like others in the collection, is about a woman preoccupied with the possible infidelities of her live-in lover. Rivera cleverly captures, with humor and great insight, the struggle her protagonist, or central character, Teresa, goes through to realize her lover is unfaithful and ill-suited for her. She accomplishes this by drawing on Santería, a practice closely linked to her own Cuban ethnicity. Without a basic understanding of Santería, it is difficult for the reader to appreciate Teresa's plight, as well as Rivera's message regarding the power of feminine intuition.

"African Powers that surround our savior: Eleggua, Ogún, Obatalá, Shangó, Yemayá, Oshún, Orula, Babalú Ayé. I want pleasure, and I want it right...
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