Pocho: cultural identity and Mexican-American literature

¶ … Pocho: A Novel about a Young Mexican-American Coming of Age in California by Jose Antonio Villarreal. Specifically it will discuss the quote, Richard, Juan Rubio's son, throws off the yoke of the Church and Confession. "He did not know that he could never really free." Richard can never be free of the Church because he has been raised in the Church, and it already has a hold on him and his notions of right and wrong.

The Catholic Church is a huge part of Hispanic culture, as this novel clearly illustrates. All of the trappings of the Church matter to the people, and they believe in the doctrines and rituals of the Church, from Confession to the taking of Communion. Richard is a young man when he denounces the Church, but he has still been raised to believe in the power of the Catholic Church, and when things are bad, he blames himself and his lack of faith, just as when his father gets ill and he repents for three days, trying to save him.

The Church makes him feel guilty for the things he does, and so do the priests when they mete out punishment for sins. Because of this guilt, Richard will never be able to fully let go of the Church and its doctrine. Already he has "paid" for his sins in Confession, and when he sins throughout his life, he will remember this. He will still feel the guilt, even though he no longer seeks absolution, and the guilt will linger throughout his life.

In addition, because the Church is such an important part of Hispanic culture, he will never be "free" of that, either. Even if he succeeds in staying away from the Church and church services, his family and friends will go to Church, and he will be excluded from that group because he has turned his back on their religion. He will never be free because his friends and family will be constant reminders of his choice and his lack of spirituality in their eyes.

The Church guides people through their lives, and many celebrations throughout the year are based on religious occasions (such as Christmas). Again, Richard will be on the outside during these celebrations, because the rest of the family will be attending mass and other ceremonies. Even if he chooses to go, his heart will not be in it, and he will not take part in many of the ceremonies, such as Communion. Thus, he will be an outcast and different, someone who does not fit into the culture and society, and those around him will never allow him to forget it. Some may make him feel guilty, and others may just ignore him, but he will never be free of the stigma of someone who no longer believes in God.

In addition, the Church is an important, even vital aspect of the Hispanic community. Church services are only a part of the ways the people interact with the Church. There are Catholic schools, charities and societies, and many families work as laypeople in the Church. It is present in many aspects of daily life, so Richard will never be able to leave it completely behind him. It will have a hold on him no matter what he does, and he cannot escape it unless he escapes the community and his family, too.