Project ¡Yo! - Thesis, Introduction, Outline

Thesis and Research Outline for Yo!

Weltee Wolo

Rasmussen College

Author Note

This paper is being submitted on July 31, 2017 Rebecca Moore’s

Literature of American Minorities G435/AML4680 course

Topic and Thesis

Topic: Comparison of gender roles on the Old country and the US

Thesis: Yo and her family have had the opportunity to go back and forth between the United States and the Dominican Republic in search of safety and relevance over durations of dictatorship and political instability. These incidences and migrations have fueled the diverse understanding of the gender roles depicted between the two times and geographies.

Outline

1. Introduction

1. Yo and her family have had the opportunity to go back and forth between the United States and the Dominican Republic in search of safety and relevance over durations of dictatorship and political instability.

2. These incidences and migrations have fueled the diverse understanding of the gender roles depicted between the two times and geographies.

1. Body

1. Women as anti-dictatorship fighters

In the Dominican Republic, women are seen taking the lead role and even losing their lives when fighting the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the novel. They are dotted as “Las Mariposas” to symbolize the delicate yet aggressive nature of their role in that society.

1. Women as Independent and seeking identity

After they moved to the United States the struggles proceed from dictatorship and the need to be relevant in a foreign society. The writer takes the reader through the life of Yo who struggles to master the art f living in the United Sates and common issues such as seeking an identity, fitting in and the process of language acquisition.

1. Male patriarchy

The father to the girls exclusively brings about the aspects of male patriarchy. A society that values being headed by the father. He is seen as the sole decision maker and having a great influence on the terms of both migrations. Rafael Trujillo is also a figurative depiction of male patriarchy.

Conclusion

Despite the transitions between the two worlds, there is evidence of role value as each gender take on string yet significant roles in formulating the family. These roles help to define the family and equally understand the society in which the story is based.