Furia

Méndez introduces readers to the novel’s setting: Rosario, Argentina, the country’s second-largest city. As the first-person narration describes Camila’s bus ride to her soccer game, Méndez introduces particular locations, such as Parque Yrigoyen; Central’s Stadium, also known as El Gigante; and even specific streets, such as Circunvalación. Her descriptions of Camila’s neighborhood orient the reader to the community and strengthen the novel’s sense of place. She also uses Camila’s bus ride to introduce aspects of Argentinian culture. The reader sees the poverty in the community when the young boy boards the bus selling estampitas, as well as the prominence of Catholicism in Argentinian culture. Even though Camila is not particularly religious, she does seem to have a measure of faith in the supernatural, suggesting that both religion and superstition are deeply ingrained in the culture. This aspect of the culture is echoed when Camila prays to La Difunta Correa for a miracle and when Camila’s mother expresses her belief that her presence is bad luck for Pablo’s team.

Another aspect of Argentinian culture that Méndez highlights is the lack of gender equality. For one thing, Argentina does not have a professional women’s soccer team. The sentiment of many people, Camila’s father included, is that women shouldn’t play soccer because it’s a masculine sport. Even after leading her team to victory, Camila is identified by the game announcer as the sister of Pablo Hassan rather than a soccer player in her own right. Méndez also mentions women’s rights movements such as Ni Una Menos and the pro-choice movement, highlighting the controversy and push for change that characterize the current culture of Argentina.

Camila has a mixed heritage. Her ancestors came from every corner of the world: Russia, Palestine, Andalusia, and Brazil. Even though she didn’t know them well, she feels a connection to them, especially the women who came before her in the family line. Camila’s stubbornness and physical features are her inheritance. Camila also comes from a line of women who got pregnant at a young age, before marriage. Camila, however, is different; she has big plans for her life and can’t imagine giving them up for any man. Despite the adversity she faces as a woman in Argentina, where options for women are limited, she is determined. In this way, Méndez highlights the paradox of Camila’s character: She is both a product of her heritage and a maverick in the family.