Woman as Daughter, Wife, and Mother

One of the major themes in So Far From God is the idea of a woman's role in society. Traditionally, Hispanic women are taught to serve three people: father, husband, and child. These roles can be confining, particularly for modern women, and Castillo challenges this image of woman in her novel. The daughters, Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and La Loca all try to be dutiful daughters and wives, yet they are unsuccessful in these roles. Esperanza's boyfriend leaves her for another woman, while Fe's husband drives her to a job that kills her. Caridad's marriage falls apart as do all of her other relationships, while La Loca's hatred of people effectively rules out romance. Even Sofi acts like a dutiful daughter and passes up the chance for true love. However Castillo complicates this theme by making the alternatives to the traditional role just as...