During the semester, we
have investigated many areas of criminality through film and text. Through this
course’s materials, we have entered into the dark world of criminality. Gangs,
organized crime, trafficking, drug networks, and all types of illicit systems
and structures appeared to have intertwined, making it almost impossible for
people of whatever country to hide from the giant shadow of criminal
obsessions.
Liliana’s Invincible
Summer written by Cristina Rivera Garza was our final book.
This book was about the murder of the author’s sister, Liliana. CRG often
stated in interviews, podcasts, or conferences that she did not wish her sister
to become a nameless statistic and forgotten victim of violent crime. She
wanted her personhood and life to be remembered, not only the conditions of her
death and the killer who had caused it. Yet, she also wanted the term,
“femicide”, to be more widely known and understood, as a criminal obsession, a
hate crime committed against females because of their gender.
Directions:
In
a 5-page creative essay, pretend you are a doctor, detective, friend, or
psychologist and have been called in by Cristina, to advise her on her sister’s
death. Using your investigative, personal. and/ or professional skills, center
on the character of Cristina’s sister, Liliana, as exhibited by the letters,
books, and other memorabilia left in her apartment. Even though you may not be
able to exactly know why she was murdered and by whom, you are offering a
commentary on this criminal act, the area of femicide, and helping to solve a
murder.
If
you are a friend from childhood, you may be capable of filling in some of the
blanks. If you knew her at the university or were her neighbor, perhaps you saw
her talking with someone. If you are in law enforcement, maybe you find an
important document or file and are able to track down witnesses who may know
something. If you are a sociologist, you may be commenting on nefarious social
events, on a national/global level which probably have permitted the growth of
femicide. As a psychologist, you may be documenting your observations of her
particular case and offering some sort of help to the family as they undergo
different stages of grief and mourning. Whichever moments from the past, you shared
with the author’s sister or her case, might shed light on her killing and help
to lessen the family’s grief. You do not have to assume all roles. It would be
best to choose only one or two. The time period you choose to appear in is up
to you. Since the book took many years to write, direct information, such as
files, may be missing concerning points of possible investigation. What does
this resulting absence tell?
Hearing
the author while she speaks about her sister and this book in podcasts, and you
tube videos, shows that trauma is also associated with the book and the author.
Kai Erickson, sociologist, has written that “trauma is a wound to the psyche
that breaks through the subject’s defense so suddenly and brutally that the
subject cannot react.” Therefore, Cristina’s text can also be seen through this
lens of hurtful and haunted situations/memories. These elements have definitely been reflected
in CRG’s novel, especially regarding society’s norms, law enforcement, and
traumatic scenes of violence and power.
