Milk of Amnesia Summary and Analysis

Carmelita's play, "Milk of Amnesia," is based on her trip from the United States back to Cuba in 1993. The play begins with the voice of the writer explaining the difficult adjustment she had from leaving Cuba and emigrating to the U.S. In America she had to forget a lot of things she had grown up with in Cuba including the difference in milk. She learned to drink the milk in America and forget the sweet milk of Cuba. Her milk of amnesia had thus begun very early in her new homeland.

Pingalito introduces himself as the host. He explains to the audience that he was the conductor of a bus in 1955 when he first met Carmelita. When he hears about her suffering from amnesia, he rushes right over to console her. He sees her in the...