"Nilda" Thoughts...

I really enjoyed reading the short story “Nilda”, because I felt that the narrator and the other characters in the story (Nilda, Rafa) were really brought to life by the author’s descriptions and the dialogue. What I liked the most about this short story was the stark, unembellished truthfulness of the narrator. He didn’t hide the dark, dirty little secrets of his brother; he didn’t portray Nilda partially simply because he had feelings for her. This really demonstrated the quote that Professor Cassie read to us at the beginning of class today—the gist being that in order for a story to be believable, every good character needed to have flaws; no character is perfect, thus they each have to face certain adverse consequences for their little foibles. What was so captivating about this story was the fact that it showed that each character was multi-faceted, and it also shows the brutal reality of life.

            To begin with Rafa: at the beginning of the story, he seems to have everything going for him—good looks and hot girls. The way he worked his charm with Nilda on the bus and when he told her to make tea for him shows that he can win whatever girl his heart desires. However, the darker side of his personality was that he is extremely sexual—he seems to only desire Nilda for her body. Through the author’s descriptions, I could definitely conjure up an image of Rafa—a composition of several of the boys I have known. Because of this element of truth, I was able to feel for the character—I was able to visualize the character and the story in my mind.

            Nilda: from the very first paragraph, we are able to see Nilda very distinctly. I could picture a caramel-skinned, busty girl with sensual curves. Although the narrator likes Nilda, he doesn’t disguise her with purely-positive descriptions—he admits that she is “brown trash” and sexually-promiscuous. However, the narrator also reveals that Nilda has higher ambitions for the future, and although she is promiscuous, she wants emotional, not just physical affection from Rafa. I’ve known a lot of girls like Nilda, so I can sympathize with her. Because of all the attention she gets from her looks, she starts using this asset to win affection—attracting the attention of guys that don’t exactly have her best interest in mind. Thus, she loses the drive to follow her ambitions—instead she makes herself almost a slave for the guy she likes, this being shown by how she always visits Rafa at his house, sometimes having to wait outside until he wakes up if he slept late the night before. And although she tells Rafa her ambitions, what really happens to her is that she has to work in jobs like newspaper deliverer and laundress, she gets her tooth knocked out, and she doesn’t find true love.

            The narrator: he doesn’t try to disguise the fact that he isn’t as good looking and charming as his brother, or that after his brother’s death, he was “on the way to becoming a nut”. Moreover, through the way he describes his brother’s actions and lack of respect towards Nilda, the narrator demonstrates his own character, and his own morals. He seems like the type of guy that is always in his glamorous brother’s shadow, but is actually a much nicer and respectful guy than his brother.

            Another element of the author’s writing that really brought the characters to life was the dialogue. It really showed the narrator’s and Rafa’s background and culture—the vulgar and crude language demonstrated that they probably grew up “in the hood”, the Spanish that their mother speaks shows that they have a Hispanic background.

            Additionally, I felt that the story really communicated to me the message that beauty without brains and ambition can be a curse. Which boy hasn’t wished they were so handsome that they could win whichever girl their heart desired? Even the narrator himself admitted that he would trade his high IQ for a face like his brother. Which girl hasn’t wished for head-turning, heart-breaking beauty that would leave all the boys at her disposal? However, this story shows that despite the beauty of both Rafa and Nilda—neither one got far in life because they were too preoccupied with the moment. Rafa wanted immediate physical satisfaction, Nilda wanted to be showered with attention for her good looks. Who ended up as the best-faring out of the three? The narrator—who has average looks, but intelligence to make up for that.