Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings

What is the historical relationship between the US and Cuba and how did it lead to the events of the Cuban Civil War? How does Engle refer to this history in the memoir?

Discuss how Engle uses rhyme and sound play to convey the protagonist’s emotional state and how this literary device evolves over the course of the memoir. Use excerpts from the poems and provide close readings in your response.

Animals appear frequently in many of Enchanted Air’s poems. Besides horses, which animals feature most prominently and what themes or symbols do they represent?

Compare and contrast the sisters’ views of themselves as Cuban Americans. How does Mad view her biracial identity? Does she experience conflicts similar to the author? Why or why not? Use examples from the text in your response.

Enchanted Air includes a significant number of poems with bilingual titles. Additionally, the author includes Spanish words and phrases throughout the memoir. Discuss how this technique develops the author’s understanding of family, identity, and heritage.

Compare and contrast Enchanted Air with Engle’s verse novel The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom (2008). How does each text discuss the Cuban Civil War? What narrative and poetic aspects do the texts share, and where do they diverge?

Discuss the importance of storytelling in the memoir. Consider the difference between written stories and oral stories in your response. Be sure to include specific poems and textual examples for support.

What role does communism play in the memoir and how does it shape the author’s experiences and perceptions of Cuba and the US? Is the ideology presented as positive, negative, or neutral? On the other hand, is the US’s political ideology ever explicitly mentioned—why or why not might this be? Use evidence from the text in your response.