Cuba

Cuba is a place that is both beautiful and suffocating, and that characters yearn to escape, yet also miss and cherish. It is rife with political upheaval and danger, but it is also filled with good food and kind neighbors. The climate is hot and humid, which leads many people to have a languorous demeanor. The Cuban Revolution of the 1950s figures into a handful of stories, and was a time of upheaval and danger. This can be seen in "Superman," as well as in "The Cola of Oblivion." Many of the characters are living in a post-Revolution Cuba, and so have to deal with the particular problems it poses, such as frequent power outages, food shortages, blockades, and class stratification. This can be seen in "The Maldives," "The Cola of Oblivion," "Waters," and "The Collector."

In "The Sound Catalog," Dulce both cannot wait to leave Cuba, and...