ENG1141
Creative Writing
Formal Critique
Reviewer’s Name: Luz Mery Felipe
Title: Pendeja, You Ain’t Steinbeck: My Bronca with Fake-Ass Social Justice Literature
Author’s Name: Myriam Gurba
Write one item you enjoyed for four out of the six topics. Write one question you had for at least four out of the six topics.
Plot: Throughout the story Gurba gives her honest and fearlessly opinion about a book she had to review. She shows her disagreement towards Cummins’s book, Dirt and her point of view about Mexico, where she portrays the United States as the “sanctuary” while portraying Mexico like nothing but “bad”. Gurba also highlights how Cummins failed to portray the main character of her book, Lydia which was supposed to be Mexican but from the way she thinks and acts we can tell she was nothing but described from someone that knows nothing about the Mexican culture.
Characters: I liked how Gurba was not afraid to stand up for her Mexican/Latin people as well as the message she sent to Cummins and so many others which was to educate themselves before talking about something and ask themselves if they should and were capable of really addressing it?
Why do you think Cummins suddenly want to identify herself as Latin, do you think she is being honest or that she just want to have some attention?
Point of View: The author uses her own point of view to describe how she felt after reading Dirt and realizing that Cummins failed at describing Mexican culture.
My question to the author is, did you receive any response from Cummins after openly criticizing her book?
Setting & Context: The story takes place when Gurba is given the task of reviewing Cummins’s book which she decides to start reading after she arrives to her tia’s house in Guadalajara and which after reading the letter that was before chapter one she decides to giver herself to the project and fill it with comments that could clearly show her feelings.
If you hadn’t read the note where Cummins said he wanted to put a face on Mexicans, would you have filled the book with so many harsh comments or would you have been a little more flexible?
Voice & Style: I loved how the author allowed herself to express her emotions just the way they were, without restricting herself to express the way she was feeling which was disagreement and madness towards Cummis’s book. Another thing that I really liked was the use of Spanish slang in certain occasions to call Cummins out.
Dialogue: She did not use dialogue but she shared some inner conversations she had as well as conversations she had with others that somehow helped her become the person she is today, someone not afraid to call others out when what they are doing does not seem right.
I agree with your point of view statement because Cummin used stereotypes to describe Mexican culture which was bad on her part, and because of that Gurba felt the need to put her in her place with her honest critique.
Hey Luz Mery, I agree with your opinion on the character section of you formal critique. The reviewer of the book, Maryiam has put a lot of passion and deep connection to stand up for the Mexican or Latin people. In my opinion to your question, about what would be the main reason why Cummin was suddenly claiming her self to be Latin is that because she felt insecure and put down from the hate review of Maryiam.
Hi Luz Mery,
I agree with you when you said that Gurba stood up for her culture against people who write about it that are incapable. Her “tough” style and strong emotions serves the message of not writing about the the culture if they do not understand or have not experience it. the problem is many people like Cummins have no idea about other people especially minorities and brown immigrants and do not even try to get an idea about our true struggles.
Hello Luz Mery, I enjoyed reading you critique. I also agree with what you wrote under “character” that people should think twice about addressing things and their capability on how much they can say about the people or culture. People’s culture is a sensitive subject and if you aren’t from there, you may end up saying something ignorant even if you don’t realize it.