Magical Realism as a Critique of Puerto Rican Society
“The Youngest Doll” by Rosario Ferré is a potent narrative that utilizes elements of magical realism to critique Puerto Rican society, particularly its treatment of women and class structures. The story revolves around a wealthy aunt who crafts life-sized dolls for her nieces as wedding gifts. It embodies feminist and social concerns, unveiling the oppression and objectification faced by women.
Ferré’s feminist message is clear as women in Puerto Rican society are often seen as objects to be adorned and possessed, much like the dolls the aunt creates. The dolls, which grow increasingly lifelike as the years pass, symbolize the constrained roles and lack of agency afforded to women. They are silent, static, and subject to the whims of their owners, mirroring the limited opportunities and expectations placed on women to be passive and decorative.
The social concerns in the story are intertwined with the feminist critique. The aunt, a victim of a prawn bite that embeds the creature in her leg, represents the intrusion of patriarchal and colonial forces into the lives of Puerto Rican women. The prawn, which grows inside her, symbolizes the insidious nature of these societal structures that feed off the autonomy and individuality of women.
Symbolism of Dolls in the Story
Dolls in “The Youngest Doll” serve as powerful symbols of the dehumanization and commodification of women. Their presence in the story constantly reminds the aunt of her own experiences and her desire to protect her nieces from a similar fate, even as the gifts she bestows upon them paradoxically reinforce the very societal norms she despises.
The ending of the story, where the youngest niece’s husband, a doctor, attempts to cut open the youngest doll only to be confronted by a living prawn, is a striking metaphor for the resilience and rebellion against the objectification and consumption of women’s bodies. It suggests that beneath the surface of societal expectations, there is a living force, a refusal to be dominated or defined by oppressive structures. The prawn, once a symbol of victimhood, transforms into a symbol of resistance, encapsulating the story’s critique of the societal forces that seek to shape and control women’s identities and destinies in Puerto Rican society.
Reference
Ferré, R., & Vélez, D. (1986). The Youngest Doll. Feminist Studies, 12(2), 243–249. Web.