The Poet X Themes

Shame

In The Poet X, Xiomara wrestles with the shame she associates with her religion and female sexuality, which are intertwined. Xiomara states early in the novel that she developed breasts and curves at a young age, attracting unwanted attention from males. Her development as a woman also bothers Mami, and Mami makes it clear that Xiomara’s job is to sidestep men’s advances. Mami’s religion instructs women to hide their bodies so as not to tempt men, and she does all in her power to squash her daughter’s budding sexuality. When Xiomara begins her period, Mami has never told her how to handle it. After Googling what to do and buying tampons, Mami shames Xiomara for using them, stating that “good girls don’t wear tampons.”

When Xiomara meets and feels an attraction to Aman, Xiomara’s shame becomes more complicated. Her upbringing has conditioned her to feel shame for even thinking about exploring a physical relationship with him. After she is caught kissing Aman on the subway, her parents call her a “cuero,” Dominican Spanish slang for “whore,” and her mother forces her to kneel on rice while praying. Xiomara knows that her father has a promiscuous past, yet it is only women who are called “cuero,” and she begins to feel that women in her world are held to a double standard. Over time, Xiomara questions and even rejects these teachings that she has internalized. She is ashamed of her figure and size and describes trying to make herself small, yet she challenges Mami’s and Father Sean’s ideas about women. In her poems, she begins to explore her own ideas on sexuality, her body, and relationships.

Coming-of-Age

The Poet X is the story of Xiomara’s coming-of-age. Her mother and father didn’t think they could have children, so from her birth, Xiomara and her twin brother were given the burden of being “miracles.” Xiomara is raised to believe she needs to prove her worth for simply being alive. Her family, particularly her mother, is devoutly religious and heavily involved in the Catholic Church. However, as Xiomara ages, she realizes that there are many teachings of the church that she disagrees with, particularly those regarding her sexuality. At church she hears that it is her job to prove her goodness by dedicating herself to the church and not attracting male attention, but she finds that her developed body attracts attention whether she wants to or not. Xiomara’s experiences in confirmation class serve to question her religion even more.

Meeting and dating Aman advance Xiomara’s coming-of-age in the novel. Aman encourages her to be herself, particularly through her poetry. He also awakens a part of her sexuality she hasn’t experienced before, causing conflicting feelings of excitement and shame. After being caught kissing Aman and forced to go to confession, Xiomara begins a dialogue with Father Sean that allows her to explore some of her questions and realize that religion can be a personal experience, not only driven by dogma. In fact, Father Sean encourages her to think analytically about religion.

Xiomara’s coming-of-age is also chronicled and developed through her writing. Her poetry notebook, given to her by Twin, houses her deepest thoughts and emotions. Not only does writing help Xiomara make sense of the world but it also helps her develop and express her own viewpoints on matters like religion, sexuality, and family.

Family

Xiomara’s story explores the complex relationships between members of a family. Xiomara’s mother views her daughter as a reward but also tries to control her. Mami likely tries to exert this control due to her disappointment in marrying rather than becoming a nun. Xiomara, meanwhile, constantly feels like a disappointment to Mami even as she wants to explore the boundaries beyond her mother’s religion. Throughout the text, Xiomara tries to balance conforming to her mother’s expectations with developing as an individual.

Xiomara’s relationship with her father is equally complicated. Papi hardly engages with his family, and Xiomara feels little connection to him. She knows that Papi was once a womanizer and resents that he is not labeled a “cuero” while she is, simply for kissing a boy in public. She describes him as an absent father. It isn’t until Mami burns Xiomara’s notebook and the family begins counseling with Father Sean that Xiomara gains true insight into her father. The story culminates with Papi teaching Xiomara to dance. He finally expresses his love for her by telling her, “Dancing is a good way to tell someone you love them.”

The Poet X also explores the complexities of family through Xiomara’s relationship with Twin. She never calls him by his name, emphasizing the special relationship that no one else can have with either of them. Yet Xiomara and Twin are often not on the same page; he is bookish and oblivious to her feelings while she longs for him to stand up for her. Nonetheless, Twin encourages Xiomara in her writing and sometimes has more insight into her behavior than she does herself; Xiomara stands up for her brother and accepts him for who he is. In the novel, Xiomara ultimately discovers that family helps shape who we become, sometimes for the worse but often for the better.