Hunger of Memory 2

The theme of separation is an important development in the novels Hunger of Memory and How the Garcia Girls lost their Accent. The novels deal with separation differently. For Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez, the separation allows Richard to move from the private world to the public world. Here, separation is a movement for a solution, which is citizenship. In How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent by Julia Alvarez, the separation is an …

…there is cost toward citizenship. He loses a private individuality by being assimilated. In return, he gains a public individuality. For Alvarez, the separation is an effect from Antojo. There are many instances of separation in the novel. All separations lead to Antojo making an uncertain future for the characters. It is unclear whether Antojo is a positive or negative force, but it is clear that all the characters are at the mercy of Antojo.