Okay, everyone. Over the past few days I have developed extremely strong feelings about Junot Diaz's story "Aurora" and now y'all can read them in no particular order. Also, many pop culture references are included in this post because it is largely a rant and I'm not editing them out because that would feel inauthentic. The essence of my point is this: It's a love story. A shitty love story, but a love story.
1. The "romance" genre never ever tells stories about healthy relationships. Or, okay, that's definitely not true but the really iconic stories that are known first and foremost as love stories are not healthy. Romeo and Juliet? Impulsive kids who are infatuated with each other, don't listen to their parents, and die. Not healthy. The Notebook? The only reason she goes on a date with him in the first place is because he threatens to kill himself and they fight ALL THE TIME. Titanic? Okay actually Jack was pretty much the Perfect Man and there was a whole abusive relationship between Rose and Cal but Rose was bad for Jack and led to him dying which was unhealthy for him so my point stands. We, as The Masses, don't read/watch love stories to see healthy relationships. Thus, Lucero and Aurora's constant violent and emotional mistreatment of each other isn't a reason to write them off as not-a-love-story. If anything, it makes their narrative align stronger with the genre.
2. It is highly unlikely that Lucero or Aurora have ever been near a healthy relationship. Like, we all see John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen, but the relationships in our lives are much more likely to emulate those of our parents and friends. And from what we know about the people Lucero and Aurora spend their time with, as well as the fact that Aurora is 17 and living on the streets and was in juvie and is a drug addict, it's unlikely that either character would have good relationship influences or high expectations of each other.
3. They are bad for each other, yes, but let's all be honest with ourselves here, Lucero is probably better for Aurora than most of the other men in her life and she probably doesn't really know how to be single so if she's gonna have somebody be her go-to man, it should be someone who is relatively stable outside of their relationship. Which. Lucero. Is. And he sucks and she sucks, but bottom line I really think he wants to help her and doesn't know how which obviously doesn't excuse the suckiness it's just important to recognize that he probably doesn't want to hurt her.
SO. yes, "Aurora" is a love story. No, it's not a pleasant one. Have a nice day.
1. The "romance" genre never ever tells stories about healthy relationships. Or, okay, that's definitely not true but the really iconic stories that are known first and foremost as love stories are not healthy. Romeo and Juliet? Impulsive kids who are infatuated with each other, don't listen to their parents, and die. Not healthy. The Notebook? The only reason she goes on a date with him in the first place is because he threatens to kill himself and they fight ALL THE TIME. Titanic? Okay actually Jack was pretty much the Perfect Man and there was a whole abusive relationship between Rose and Cal but Rose was bad for Jack and led to him dying which was unhealthy for him so my point stands. We, as The Masses, don't read/watch love stories to see healthy relationships. Thus, Lucero and Aurora's constant violent and emotional mistreatment of each other isn't a reason to write them off as not-a-love-story. If anything, it makes their narrative align stronger with the genre.
2. It is highly unlikely that Lucero or Aurora have ever been near a healthy relationship. Like, we all see John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen, but the relationships in our lives are much more likely to emulate those of our parents and friends. And from what we know about the people Lucero and Aurora spend their time with, as well as the fact that Aurora is 17 and living on the streets and was in juvie and is a drug addict, it's unlikely that either character would have good relationship influences or high expectations of each other.
3. They are bad for each other, yes, but let's all be honest with ourselves here, Lucero is probably better for Aurora than most of the other men in her life and she probably doesn't really know how to be single so if she's gonna have somebody be her go-to man, it should be someone who is relatively stable outside of their relationship. Which. Lucero. Is. And he sucks and she sucks, but bottom line I really think he wants to help her and doesn't know how which obviously doesn't excuse the suckiness it's just important to recognize that he probably doesn't want to hurt her.
SO. yes, "Aurora" is a love story. No, it's not a pleasant one. Have a nice day.
Okok I disagree with this (check out my blog post for more info). Not just because of their unhealthy relationship (which is also a good argument because two people pretty much have to actually BE in a relationship to make a love story), but also because the two of them isn't what the story's about. While it does focus on the pair a lot, it more focuses on Lucero and the biggest things in his life, one of them happening to be the girl he can't get over.
ReplyDeleteI think you're absolutely right that Lucero and Aurora live in communities where all the people around them (peers and parents alike) are in largely abusive, often violent relationships. Given that I understand why Aurora might not be as afraid of Lucero/return to him, if she's desensitized or otherwise resigned to relationships like the one between theirs (or, if, like you said, she doesn't have any better man to turn to, which I see as likely).
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you used examples like Romeo and Juliet to backup your point. Would you say that Romeo and Juliet's difficulties arise from the situation around them? The relationship depicted in Aurora is unhealthy from the inside. Your point about popular culture is I think the most valid. Kids often hear how their favorite sports stars, rappers, and fashion icons harm their partners, promoting the same thing among people who look up to them
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I think just because there are other stories that show unhealthy relationship doesn't make it any more of a love story. I can maybe buy it if you put a distinction between a love story and a romance. Because I think a romance could have aspects of an unhealthy relationship but I think a love story means they actually have to love and care about each other.
ReplyDeleteI loved all the pop culture references! I agree with you 100%. It's not a healthy or happy love story but it still is. There's a reason that they keep going back to each other and it's because love each other but it's in this dark and twisted way. Even though 98% of the time their relationship is toxic and abusive, there's that 2% when the love is genuine and normal like when Lucero and Aurora talk about having a normal future and family together.
ReplyDelete