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 thefamily’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.
Final Thoughts
