Documenti di Didattica
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Evan Belk
Professor Zapata
CAS 115
19 October, 2018
“...After…” by Carolina Escamilla is a book full of short stories centering around a girl named
Dalia who is living in El Salvador during its Civil War in the 1980s. They take place in a variety of
contexts and at different points throughout her life. One of the stories included, titled “The
White-Dress-Uniform-Girls”, recounts Dalia’s families’ hostile relationship with another family living
down their street that centers around their differing political viewpoints. The title of the work refers to the
white school uniforms that Dalia uses to identify the daughters of the other family. Aside from clothing,
some other things that differentiate this family from Dalia’s include the school their children attend, their
access to media or entertainment, their complexion, and their involvement in the military. Dalia’s family
on the other hand, when described in an insulting way by one of the “white dress uniform girls”, is said to
have too many children, lack of hygiene or proper clothing, and access to only poor education. They are
also, according to Dalia, known in the neighborhood as political leftists. These differences, although roots
of the conflict lie in political territory, end up fueling the hatred between the two throughout the story. A
hatred involving the parents of both, and as a result, also the children who only know to see the examples
The main issue highlighted by Escamilla throughout this story is that a country divided
politically, such as El Salvador at this time, can create divisions in its citizens who feel they have to take
one side over another. This is clearly the basis of the conflict between the families in “The
White-Dress-Uniform-Girls”, as is touched upon in the harsh words of Dalia’s drunken father when he
yells at the other family: “‘The military has left you guys anemic. They have sucked out all your
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blood...anemic sons of bitches.’” (Escamilla, 147). Through these insults, Dalia’s father not only mentions
the military, but also calls the other family “anemic” in reference to their lighter skin complexion. The
differences in political affiliation have gotten to a point where the families simply feel a need to insult one
another on things completely unrelated to their differing viewpoints. This hostility is reciprocated by
Claudia, the mother of the other family, yelling with the with people she gathered to throw stones or trash
at Dalia’s home: “‘Savages, your parents and you will all burn in hell.’” (Escamilla, 149). In this example
politics are not even mentioned, only the idea that Dalia and her family are “savages”, likely in reference
their mannerisms and appearance which are a direct result of their poor living conditions. The political
climate in El Salvador at the time simply served to accentuate the differences in social class existing
between families, causing them to be hostile and uncivil towards one another in regards to things that did
not have as much to do with the government or military; like the way they dress or what school they
attend. Such things that may not have been such a barrier to kind relations between families in the past,
As an American growing up in the 21st century, I have personally never experienced a situation
in my country even close to the level that El Salvador had at this time. One thing that I have observed,
however, is that we as American citizens will make many assumptions and search for conflict between
ourselves and those who are in different political parties than us, even on non-political terms. I also know
that there are ways to get around this conflict, even though we live in a fairly divided country when it
comes to political party affiliations. I live with my family in the very liberal town of Davis California.
Our relatives live in the much more conservative and rural town of McDonald Pennsylvania. We both
have very different political views, and, simply based on where we are located, very different lifestyles.
Both families have acknowledged these facts but are able to get along well whenever we see each other,
laughing, talking, and and enjoying each others company. Even if a conversation related to politics
somehow comes up in our time together, we either choose not to talk about it, or we engage in a civil
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discussion, not bringing anything into the realm of the conversation outside from the relevant subject
matter. I do believe that it is completely possible for two families living different lifestyles and with
different viewpoints to treat each other civilly. I believe it because I have seen it done with my family as
the example.
The connection between the relations within my family tree and “The
vastly different societies and political climates, Dalia’s story and mine alike both feature two families
with different viewpoints and lifestyles. In Dalia’s case, what started as political disagreement morphed
into an entire family feud, concerning many matters far outside the scope of politics. In my case, while
also involving families with differing views and ways of living, both were able to get along and are still
able to today, simply through being respectful of one another and choosing to look past their differences.
In his article “Do you know how to get along with others?”, Dr. F.A. Moss claims that “In no trait to
people differ more than in their ability to get along with others [...] social intelligence is one of the most
important elements making for success”. Indeed, this ability if present yields much more successful
communication between people. Celeste Headlee also said in her article “How to talk about politics
constructively”, that “Respect is more important than tolerance. To respect another person is to refrain
from calling them names, discounting their ideas or using frequent interruptions to talk over them or
perplex them”. If we as a world somehow achieved a state of respect and understanding for one another,
we could all be much more unified and focus on our similarities rather than differences. This would
ultimately create a much more peaceful world than the one in which we are currently living.
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Works Cited
● Escamilla, Carolina Rivera. ... After ...: a Collection of Stories. World Stage Press, 2015.
● Moss, F. A. “Do You Know How to Get Along with People?” Scientific American, vol. 135, no. 1,
ideas.ted.com/how-to-talk-about-politics-constructively/.