Los ojos de Carmen

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title Los ojos de Carmen Carmen’s eyes Author: Verónica Moscoso Illustrator Cover art by Sara Vera Lecaro Chapter illustrations by Santiago Aguirre (in the 2024 version) Other Contributors n/a Genre Realistic Fiction Publisher: Veromundo Publication date: First edition, July 2005. Later edition, date unspecified. This review is based on a book dated September 2022.	Level From the author/publisher’s website Level 3 Total Word Count From the author/publisher’s website 7,450 total words 950 unique words #OwnVoices / Positionality The author is Ecuadorian and the book is set in Ecuador; the protagonist, Daniel, is from the US.	Illustrations YES Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context NO Other Audiobook: MP3 Downloadable File & CD set This book has a teacher’s guide. This book also exists in French, Les yeux de Carmen.

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Main characters: -White U.S. American from California -White Ecuadorian –mestizo Ecuadorian (“People of mixed Indian and Spanish blood,” as defined in the glossary, p. 62) -Indigenous Ecuadorian Languages spoken Spanish Sex and Genders Female Male Ages Teenager: 13-18 Young Adult: 18-35 Mid-life Adult: 35-65 Social classes Poor Working class Middle Class Upper class	Sexual Orientation Heterosexual (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes Neurotypical Non-disabled Non-impaired Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality n/a Relationship and Family Structures Extended family Heteroparental Body Descriptions The text does not describe the characters’ bodies. Illustrations depict all the characters as thin.	From the back of the book or the author/publisher’s website Daniel, a 16-year-old American boy, wants to enter a photography contest. He goes to Ecuador to visit his Ecuadorian-American relatives. While there, he must deal with various culturally challenging situations. On a day trip he meets Carmen, a girl with exceptional eyes. He wants to photograph her, but…

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The cover of the newest version shows a close-up image of a teenage girl’s face, most likely Carmen’s. The author’s description of Carmen as having a “cara redonda y morena” / round brown face (p. 23) does not match the cover, which depicts a girl with a fair complexion and a thin face. Older versions of this book do not include illustrations. However, more recent publications show black and white illustrations of the characters and events. The protagonist, a photographer, is consistently shown with lighter skin and lighter-colored hair compared to the other characters.	We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. *Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text?* Yes: Problems faced by characters with an identity belonging to a marginalized group are resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person, a male, a straight person, a body-abled person, etc. (saviorism) Characters of color are assumed to have low family wealth, low educational attainment and/or low income. Characters of diverse backgrounds are represented stereotypically, or presented as foreign or exotic or are tokenized. (microaggressions)	This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. *Does this text work toward goals within any of the*four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Learning for Justice? Yes: Identity: Promote a healthy self-concept and exploration of identity Diversity: Foster intergroup understanding Justice: Raise awareness of prejudice and injustice Action: Motivate students to act by highlighting individual and collective struggles against injustice

LLLAB’s REVIEW
Daniel is a 16-year-old boy who lives in California, USA, and loves photography. Daniel’s mother suggests he go to Ecuador to improve his Spanish and to take photos. Daniel plans to stay in Quito with his uncle, Andrew, who lives there with his Ecuadorian wife and their children. For the first three weeks, Daniel sticks with his wealthy cousins and their friends. Later, he realizes there is much more to Ecuador and goes on to explore other parts of the country. In a small town, he meets Carmen, a girl for whom he develops a fascination. IDENTITY: Throughout the book, the author shows the main character growing and changing. From the beginning, Daniel is interested in photography, but faces opposition from his own father: “A él le parecía un desperdicio que un chico que tenía tan buenas calificaciones como yo, sea un ‘simple fotógrafo’” / It seemed a waste to him that a kid with grades as good as mine would be “just a photographer” (p. 2). By the end of the book, Daniel becomes more certain that photography is a true passion of his. He also learns that he likes traveling and decides that he wants to continue to travel throughout his life. “Nada puede cambiar mi decisión de dedicarme a la fotografía y a viajar” / Nothing can change my decision to dedicate myself to photography and to travel (47-48). Daniel also experiences emotional growth as he learns how he hurt his cousin’s feelings by not spending time with her. He recognizes his faults in initially ignoring her and others around him, including the employees of his wealthy uncle. Additionally, Daniel grows in his understanding of Ecuador as a multifaceted country: “Aunque me había divertido mucho con mis primos y sus amigos ricos, este paseo a Otavalo me sirvió para entender que ese país pequeño llamado Ecuador tenía mucho que ofrecer y yo me lo estaba perdiendo. Quería ver más cosas, conocer más gente” / Although I had had a lot of fun with my cousins and their rich friends, this journey to Otavalo helped me understand that that small country named Ecuador had a lot to offer and I was missing it. I wanted to see more things, get to know more people (p. 27). The book introduces two female, multifaceted, supporting characters. Daniel’s wealthy cousin, Isabel, and Carmen, a working-class teenage girl, are characters with their own identities and wishes. Isabel wants Daniel to get to know her life in Quito by introducing him to her friends and by inviting him to parties. Through their relationship, Daniel learns more about his family in Ecuador and the people and things they care about. When the two cousins have a misunderstanding, they later share their points of view and finally come to understand each other. “Mi conversación con Isabel fue larga, pero al final ella entendió mi punto de vista y yo el de ella. Nos dimos un abrazo y quedamos como amigos” / My conversation with Isabel was long, but in the end she understood my point of view and I hers. We hugged and decided to stay friends (p. 46). When he meets Carmen, he is at first fascinated with her because he thinks she is beautiful. However, over time, he learns about the complexities of her life, her many responsibilities, and gains a better understanding of the lives of many working-class people in Ecuador. By the end of the novel, Daniel’s fascination with Carmen becomes less about her beauty and more about her perspectives and personal experiences. After Daniel returns to the United States, they remain in contact by writing letters: “Sigo en contacto con Carmen también. Nos escribimos cartas… Ella me cuenta de sus estudios y de su trabajo. Me cuenta de sus sueños y de sus ganas de viajar” / I’m still in touch with Carmen too. We write letters. She tells me about her studies and her work. She tells me about her dreams and her desire to travel (p. 49). In both cases, Daniel initially misunderstands Isabel’s and Carmen’s points of view. However, Isabel and Carmen persist, and eventually Daniel listens to and comes to understand them, and experiences a change in perspective. DIVERSITY: The author shows the reader more than one side of Ecuador. She describes people’s skin colors, ethnicities, and races, which not only help to visualize the characters of the story and the diversity of the people of Ecuador, but also help the reader to gain some insight into the dynamics between the many ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes present in the country. For example, when meeting his uncle’s family at the airport, Daniel remarks, “[F]ue fácil distinguir entre esta familia de gente tan blanca en medio de las caras mestizas e indígenas de los demás en el aeropuerto” / It was easy to distinguish between this family of people who were so white in the middle of mixed and Indigenous” (p. 5-6). JUSTICE: Daniel is not afraid to confront his family about their classism and racism. When Daniel’s girlfriend and his cousin see him talking to the cousin’s family’s household employees, his cousin tells him he is being “ridiculous” (p. 16) for talking to the “servidumbre” / servants (p. 16). Daniel tells her he doesn’t see anything wrong with talking with household employees. Later on, when Daniel is photographing farmers working in fields or selling goods alongside roads, his cousin says, “menos mal que tomaste fotos de mis amigos porque si solo mostraras las fotos de los campesinos, podrían pensar que todos somos indígenas” / it’s good that you took pictures of my friends because if you only show pictures of farmers, one could think we are all Indigenous (p. 19) to which Daniel responds: “¿Y qué tiene de malo ser indígena?” / And what’s wrong with being Indigenous? (p. 19). ACTION: Daniel tends toward demonstrating a respectful and humble attitude when he is faced with cultural practices he does not understand. He experiences several cultural shocks (p. 10) when he first arrives in Ecuador, and his desire to see and understand the country better is evident when he visits Otavalo (p. 18) and the Galápagos (p. 32). Characters of diverse backgrounds are represented stereotypically, or presented as foreign or exotic or are tokenized. (microaggressions) Daniel initially takes photos of the things his cousins want him to see in Ecuador. However, he is unsatisfied because he wants to take photos of the parts of Ecuador that are more interesting to him, like the small rural community of Otavalo: “Todo lo que mis primos me mostraban y de lo que se enorgullecían era lo americanizado del Ecuador: los amigos, los clubes, los centros comerciales. Por eso mis fotos no eran nada interesantes” / Everything my cousins were showing me and that they were proud about were the Americanized parts of Ecuador: friends, clubs, shopping centers. That’s why my photos were not interesting (p. 17). Daniel’s fascination for Carmen may lend itself to objectification and exoticization of people experiencing poverty: “No pude decir nada y me dolió su pobreza: su suéter roto, sus zapatos viejos y su bella cara redonda y morena” / I could not say a word, I was hurt by her poverty: her torn sweater, her worn-out shoes, and her beautiful brown and round face (p. 23). This exotification of people experiencing poverty includes Daniel taking a photograph of a child who asks for money at the airport: “[M]ientras el niño extendía su mano para pedir, le tomé una foto y luego le di un poco de dinero” / While the child was holding his hand asking for money, I took a picture of him and gave him a little bit of money (p. 48). Back in the United States, when he sees this photograph on his computer, he realizes, “Como por arte de magia, la càmara capturò la emoción en los ojos del niño. Eran unos ojos de adulto en una cara infantil, unos ojos tristes negros y brillantes” / As if by magic, the camera captured the emotion in the child’s eyes. They were the eyes of an adult on a child’s face: sad, dark, and shining (p. 48). He enters the photo of the boy in a contest, and wins an award. Although Daniel requests Carmen’s consent to photograph her, he neither asks the child for permission to take his photograph nor to enter it in a contest. He gives the child money, as if to buy his consent. The text offers an opportunity for teachers to discuss ethical parameters surrounding children and consent. Characters of color are assumed to have low family wealth, low educational attainment and/or low income. In Los ojos de Carmen, the author portrays rich Ecuadorians as having lighter skin, and poor Ecuadorians as having darker skin and sometimes wearing traditional clothing associated with Indigenous Ecuadorian communities. “Vivíamos en el barrio de las casas grandes y nuevas, pero la ciudad entera era distinta. La gran mayoría tenía casas pequeñas y había pobreza. Mis primos eran blancos y casi todos sus amigos eran blancos también, a diferencia de la gran mayoría de gente de piel morena” / We lived in a neighborhood with big new houses, but the city was different. The majority had small houses and were poor. My cousins were white and almost all of their friends were white, in comparison, the majority of the people were dark skin color (p. 17). Teachers may wish to explore with their students the different cultures and societal contexts present in Ecuador by supplementing the text with non-fiction resources that examine the dynamics of race and social class in Ecuador. Problems faced by characters with an identity belonging to a marginalized group are resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person, a male, a straight person, a body-abled person, etc. (saviorism) Daniel’s behavior toward the servants reflects his privileged position as someone with power, free time, and wealth. He approaches them with the goal of getting to know them, and does not stop to consider whether they might want to get to know him, or whether social norms may prevent them from saying ‘no’ to him. “Maria Rosa y Juana, así se llamaban las empleadas, rieron con asombro cuando les dije que quería ayudar. No querían aceptar mi ayuda, pero insistí tanto que aceptaron. En realidad se sentían muy incómodas al principio” / Maria Rosa and Juana, those were the names of the employees, they laughed with amusement when I told them I wanted to help. They did not want to accept my help, but I insisted so much they accepted. In reality, at first, they felt very uncomfortable (p. 15). Likewise, Daniel makes assumptions about Carmen’s behavior during their first encounter. He asks if he can take a photograph of her, and does not accept her ‘no.’ He makes his own interpretation of her behavior for his benefit, instead of clarifying her wishes. “No acepté un no por respuesta. Además, aunque ella se negó, seguía sonriéndome y no se movía del lugar. Pensé que en el fondo, ella sí quería que yo le fotografiara” / I did not accept no as a response. What’s more, even though she said ‘no,’ she kept smiling and didn’t move from the place. I thought that underneath it all, she really did want me to photograph her (p. 22). This decision to not take ‘no’ for an answer may reinforce an idea that men should continue to pursue women who have said ‘no,’ especially if they do so while smiling. Additional Resource: Ribhu and Raghu Karnad, “You’ll Never See the Iconic Photo of the ‘Afghan Girl’ the Same Way Again,” The Wire [website], 12 March 2019. If you are the author of this book and you have feedback, please contact us here. If anything we have written is inaccurate, misleading, confusing, poorly worded, or lacking important context, we would be happy to update our review.

LLLAB’s REVIEW

Daniel is a 16-year-old boy who lives in California, USA, and loves photography. Daniel’s mother suggests he go to Ecuador to improve his Spanish and to take photos. Daniel plans to stay in Quito with his uncle, Andrew, who lives there with his Ecuadorian wife and their children. For the first three weeks, Daniel sticks with his wealthy cousins and their friends. Later, he realizes there is much more to Ecuador and goes on to explore other parts of the country. In a small town, he meets Carmen, a girl for whom he develops a fascination.

IDENTITY:
Throughout the book, the author shows the main character growing and changing. From the beginning, Daniel is interested in photography, but faces opposition from his own father: “A él le parecía un desperdicio que un chico que tenía tan buenas calificaciones como yo, sea un ‘simple fotógrafo’” / It seemed a waste to him that a kid with grades as good as mine would be “just a photographer” (p. 2). By the end of the book, Daniel becomes more certain that photography is a true passion of his. He also learns that he likes traveling and decides that he wants to continue to travel throughout his life. “Nada puede cambiar mi decisión de dedicarme a la fotografía y a viajar” / Nothing can change my decision to dedicate myself to photography and to travel (47-48). Daniel also experiences emotional growth as he learns how he hurt his cousin’s feelings by not spending time with her. He recognizes his faults in initially ignoring her and others around him, including the employees of his wealthy uncle. Additionally, Daniel grows in his understanding of Ecuador as a multifaceted country: “Aunque me había divertido mucho con mis primos y sus amigos ricos, este paseo a Otavalo me sirvió para entender que ese país pequeño llamado Ecuador tenía mucho que ofrecer y yo me lo estaba perdiendo. Quería ver más cosas, conocer más gente” / Although I had had a lot of fun with my cousins and their rich friends, this journey to Otavalo helped me understand that that small country named Ecuador had a lot to offer and I was missing it. I wanted to see more things, get to know more people (p. 27).

The book introduces two female, multifaceted, supporting characters. Daniel’s wealthy cousin, Isabel, and Carmen, a working-class teenage girl, are characters with their own identities and wishes. Isabel wants Daniel to get to know her life in Quito by introducing him to her friends and by inviting him to parties. Through their relationship, Daniel learns more about his family in Ecuador and the people and things they care about. When the two cousins have a misunderstanding, they later share their points of view and finally come to understand each other. “Mi conversación con Isabel fue larga, pero al final ella entendió mi punto de vista y yo el de ella. Nos dimos un abrazo y quedamos como amigos” / My conversation with Isabel was long, but in the end she understood my point of view and I hers. We hugged and decided to stay friends (p. 46).

When he meets Carmen, he is at first fascinated with her because he thinks she is beautiful. However, over time, he learns about the complexities of her life, her many responsibilities, and gains a better understanding of the lives of many working-class people in Ecuador. By the end of the novel, Daniel’s fascination with Carmen becomes less about her beauty and more about her perspectives and personal experiences. After Daniel returns to the United States, they remain in contact by writing letters: “Sigo en contacto con Carmen también. Nos escribimos cartas… Ella me cuenta de sus estudios y de su trabajo. Me cuenta de sus sueños y de sus ganas de viajar” / I’m still in touch with Carmen too. We write letters. She tells me about her studies and her work. She tells me about her dreams and her desire to travel (p. 49).

In both cases, Daniel initially misunderstands Isabel’s and Carmen’s points of view. However, Isabel and Carmen persist, and eventually Daniel listens to and comes to understand them, and experiences a change in perspective.

DIVERSITY:
The author shows the reader more than one side of Ecuador. She describes people’s skin colors, ethnicities, and races, which not only help to visualize the characters of the story and the diversity of the people of Ecuador, but also help the reader to gain some insight into the dynamics between the many ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes present in the country. For example, when meeting his uncle’s family at the airport, Daniel remarks, “[F]ue fácil distinguir entre esta familia de gente tan blanca en medio de las caras mestizas e indígenas de los demás en el aeropuerto” / It was easy to distinguish between this family of people who were so white in the middle of mixed and Indigenous” (p. 5-6).

JUSTICE:
Daniel is not afraid to confront his family about their classism and racism. When Daniel’s girlfriend and his cousin see him talking to the cousin’s family’s household employees, his cousin tells him he is being “ridiculous” (p. 16) for talking to the “servidumbre” / servants (p. 16). Daniel tells her he doesn’t see anything wrong with talking with household employees. Later on, when Daniel is photographing farmers working in fields or selling goods alongside roads, his cousin says, “menos mal que tomaste fotos de mis amigos porque si solo mostraras las fotos de los campesinos, podrían pensar que todos somos indígenas” / it’s good that you took pictures of my friends because if you only show pictures of farmers, one could think we are all Indigenous (p. 19) to which Daniel responds: “¿Y qué tiene de malo ser indígena?” / And what’s wrong with being Indigenous? (p. 19).

ACTION:
Daniel tends toward demonstrating a respectful and humble attitude when he is faced with cultural practices he does not understand. He experiences several cultural shocks (p. 10) when he first arrives in Ecuador, and his desire to see and understand the country better is evident when he visits Otavalo (p. 18) and the Galápagos (p. 32).

Characters of diverse backgrounds are represented stereotypically, or presented as foreign or exotic or are tokenized. (microaggressions)

Daniel initially takes photos of the things his cousins want him to see in Ecuador. However, he is unsatisfied because he wants to take photos of the parts of Ecuador that are more interesting to him, like the small rural community of Otavalo: “Todo lo que mis primos me mostraban y de lo que se enorgullecían era lo americanizado del Ecuador: los amigos, los clubes, los centros comerciales. Por eso mis fotos no eran nada interesantes” / Everything my cousins were showing me and that they were proud about were the Americanized parts of Ecuador: friends, clubs, shopping centers. That’s why my photos were not interesting (p. 17).

Daniel’s fascination for Carmen may lend itself to objectification and exoticization of people experiencing poverty: “No pude decir nada y me dolió su pobreza: su suéter roto, sus zapatos viejos y su bella cara redonda y morena” / I could not say a word, I was hurt by her poverty: her torn sweater, her worn-out shoes, and her beautiful brown and round face (p. 23). This exotification of people experiencing poverty includes Daniel taking a photograph of a child who asks for money at the airport: “[M]ientras el niño extendía su mano para pedir, le tomé una foto y luego le di un poco de dinero” / While the child was holding his hand asking for money, I took a picture of him and gave him a little bit of money (p. 48). Back in the United States, when he sees this photograph on his computer, he realizes, “Como por arte de magia, la càmara capturò la emoción en los ojos del niño. Eran unos ojos de adulto en una cara infantil, unos ojos tristes negros y brillantes” / As if by magic, the camera captured the emotion in the child’s eyes. They were the eyes of an adult on a child’s face: sad, dark, and shining (p. 48). He enters the photo of the boy in a contest, and wins an award. Although Daniel requests Carmen’s consent to photograph her, he neither asks the child for permission to take his photograph nor to enter it in a contest. He gives the child money, as if to buy his consent. The text offers an opportunity for teachers to discuss ethical parameters surrounding children and consent.

Characters of color are assumed to have low family wealth, low educational attainment and/or low income.

In Los ojos de Carmen, the author portrays rich Ecuadorians as having lighter skin, and poor Ecuadorians as having darker skin and sometimes wearing traditional clothing associated with Indigenous Ecuadorian communities. “Vivíamos en el barrio de las casas grandes y nuevas, pero la ciudad entera era distinta. La gran mayoría tenía casas pequeñas y había pobreza. Mis primos eran blancos y casi todos sus amigos eran blancos también, a diferencia de la gran mayoría de gente de piel morena” / We lived in a neighborhood with big new houses, but the city was different. The majority had small houses and were poor. My cousins were white and almost all of their friends were white, in comparison, the majority of the people were dark skin color (p. 17). Teachers may wish to explore with their students the different cultures and societal contexts present in Ecuador by supplementing the text with non-fiction resources that examine the dynamics of race and social class in Ecuador.

Problems faced by characters with an identity belonging to a marginalized group are resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person, a male, a straight person, a body-abled person, etc. (saviorism)

Daniel’s behavior toward the servants reflects his privileged position as someone with power, free time, and wealth. He approaches them with the goal of getting to know them, and does not stop to consider whether they might want to get to know him, or whether social norms may prevent them from saying ‘no’ to him. “Maria Rosa y Juana, así se llamaban las empleadas, rieron con asombro cuando les dije que quería ayudar. No querían aceptar mi ayuda, pero insistí tanto que aceptaron. En realidad se sentían muy incómodas al principio” / Maria Rosa and Juana, those were the names of the employees, they laughed with amusement when I told them I wanted to help. They did not want to accept my help, but I insisted so much they accepted. In reality, at first, they felt very uncomfortable (p. 15).

Likewise, Daniel makes assumptions about Carmen’s behavior during their first encounter. He asks if he can take a photograph of her, and does not accept her ‘no.’ He makes his own interpretation of her behavior for his benefit, instead of clarifying her wishes. “No acepté un no por respuesta. Además, aunque ella se negó, seguía sonriéndome y no se movía del lugar. Pensé que en el fondo, ella sí quería que yo le fotografiara” / I did not accept no as a response. What’s more, even though she said ‘no,’ she kept smiling and didn’t move from the place. I thought that underneath it all, she really did want me to photograph her (p. 22). This decision to not take ‘no’ for an answer may reinforce an idea that men should continue to pursue women who have said ‘no,’ especially if they do so while smiling.

Additional Resource: Ribhu and Raghu Karnad, “You’ll Never See the Iconic Photo of the ‘Afghan Girl’ the Same Way Again,” The Wire [website], 12 March 2019.

If you are the author of this book and you have feedback, please contact us here. If anything we have written is inaccurate, misleading, confusing, poorly worded, or lacking important context, we would be happy to update our review.

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