Character Analysis: The Statue Of Jesucristo

The statue of Jesucristo

Religion an unreliable external force of hope and salvation.

In the book Under the feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes, the author uses imagery (the statue of Jesucristo) to present religion as an unreliable external force for hope and salvation. In a migrant worker’s world, where a considerable amount of suffering and neglect is preeminent, it is understandable that religion is employed as beacon of hope. Naturally, the idea of religion and God is meant to be a source of comfort and promise of a better future and protection. However, for the characters in the text, especially the women, religion appears to be a failure. Throughout

the text, we see the characters at one point or the other rely on religion to intercede on their behalf and take away their burdens. Unfortunately, religion brings no hope or salvation for them. For following characters: Petra and Estrella, the importance of religion varies in the sense that, for Petra, religion is placed on a high pedestal while for Estrella, it comes into play in an ongoing crisis. Regardless, relying on religion seems futile thus leading to the renouncement of faith for both Petra and her daughter Estrella.
Petra is one of the characters in the play who is a firm believer in religion and often relies on her faith to help her and her family on a daily basis.

The importance of her faith is stressed and evident when the family first moved into the bungalow for the farming season. One of the first things Perfecto establishes is a corner to set up Petra’s shrine. “Three crates in the corner would be a good place to set up Petra’s alter with Jesucristo, La Virgen Maria y Jose”. (8 Viramontes) Her dependence on her faith is also recorded when she finds out she is pregnant with another child. She was struggling to find a way to tell Perfecto she was carrying his child. Petra was lost and unsure about how they would be able to take care of another baby with their living condition but she had faith in God to make a way. “Trust me she remembered Perfecto saying, but the only trust she had now was in Jesucristo”. (164 Viramontes) Religion has always been that one external force that Petra believed would intervene on her behalf. However, as her situation worsened, she finds herself losing hope in

God.
She leaned on the crate to support her weight, and the statue of Jesucristo wavered.

Her reflexes were no longer fast enough to catch a falling statue; she could almost see the head splitting away from the body before it even hit the wood planks of the floor. The head of Jesucristo broke from his neck and when his eyes stared up at her like pools of dark ominous water, she felt a wave of anger swelling against her chest. (167)

This passage symbolizes Petra’s disappointment and anger. Her whole life, she relied on her faith to save her from the difficult life of migrant farming and the moment she needs an intervention the most, her faith fails her. This for her is disheartening and also a wakeup call to seek alternate ways of resolving her issues. “That was all she had: Papers and sticks and broken faith and Perfecto, and at this moment all of this seemed as weightless against the massive darkness, as the head she held”. (169

Viramontes)
Estrella on the other hand is portrayed as a character who believed in God due to the influence of her mother’s faith. She seemed to believe in the existence of a higher being because she was never in a situation which caused her to question her beliefs. That was until life got harder and she was on the edge of losing a man who could have been her first love. It seemed to her that her prayers are left unanswered by the only being powerful enough to deliver her and her family from perilous times. Estrella then abandons her faith and opts for a more practical way to resolve her problems. This can be seen when Alejo falls seriously ill and was taken to the Clinic for medical attention. “God was mean and did not care and she was alone to fend for herself”. (139, Viramontes) This sentence represents the loss of hope and the acceptance of responsibility for Estrella. She feels betrayed and cheated because at her most crucial moment, she relies on her religion to deliver Alejo form his illness and it fails. Thus, her disappointment and also empowerment to take matters into her own hands and ensure that she provides Alejo and her family, as well as anyone who is in need of salvation, hope for a better life. This transformation is recorded when she climbs up to the roof of the barn in the middle of the night. “Estrella remained as immobile as an angel standing in the verge of faith. Like the chiming bells of the great cathedrals, she believed her heart was powerful enough to summon home all those who strayed”. (176, Viramontes)
It can be seen that religion which was once a source of comfort for Petra and her daughter Estrella turned out to be a complete failure. Regardless of how hard and fervently they wished for an intervention, for salvation, it seemed to fall on the deaf ears of the one powerful being who could have fought for them. Not only were they being ignored and forsaken by a country which they toiled endlessly for, it seemed that God had also forsaken them. Just like the United States, God turned his back on them and refused to alleviate their pain. It didn’t matter if they wept, begged, wished, and screamed for an intervention, he and no interest in their well-being. It was up to them to fight for what they believed was theirs and seek relief from their burdens. The statue of Jesucristo had failed them. The statue of Jesucristo had no power to fight for the oppressed. The statue of Jesucristo was just that, a lifeless, powerless, breakable statue.