Essay Questions

What was the importance of the backstory of sexual violence and assault, and how is that reflected in today’s media?

Ursa Corregidora, the main character, is a product of incest and assault. Her backstory is riddled with the female family members being assaulted and taken advantage of solely in the name of male pleasure. This concept is reflected heavily in the current “Time’s Up” movement in which women step forward and candidly discuss their history. The common thread runs thus; women without power are constantly and consistently taken advantage of by men with it. The story is important to establish that historically, the main character and her family have been powerless. They have been taken advantage of by slaveowners, much like powerful Hollywood producers take advantage of “wannabe” actresses. However, it takes a movement for things to change socially, and Ursa begins that. Her family’s stories have not been forgotten, and she uses this to overcome her sadness of being unable to bear children. After learning that her family had confused love with assault (much like many young actresses did in Hollywood), Ursa overcomes her tragic backstory and does not pass on this history of sexual violence.

What is the significance of the “animal” names used in this book?

We are faced with three main characters that are named: Ursa, Mutt, and Tadpole. Ursa, our main character, means bear. She is a survivor; of her family’s tragic history of assault, of her lack of ability to bear children, of being attacked by her former husband, of heartbreak, and more. Her very name means that she is brave and able to stand up to injustice, and overcome it. Second, Mutt is Ursa’s ex-husband. This name can be traditionally construed as “not pure,” or “faulty” which is what he is; not pure of heart. He is a violent man, prone fo outbursts and abuse, and forced Ursa to miscarry her child after he assaulted her. This name represents how incomplete he is and how he must hurt her to move ahead. Finally, Tadpole’s name is representative of what he grows into. We’ve all heard of the fairytale where you kiss a frog and it turns into a prince. However, Tadpole readily conflicts with that. As Ursa begins to love Tadpole, he grows up to not be her king frog, but an ugly toad who abuses her. He readily grows into this role and is nothing but trouble for her.

What is the significance of music in Ursa’s discovery to who she really is?

Music was the only constant in Ursa’s life. Her family’s tragic history of abuse and her relationships with abusive men only seemed to disappoint her and cause her pain. Her main goal in life, being a woman from an outdated time, had a socially imposed role to bear children. This was taken away from her as a result of her husband’s abusive behavior and a forced hysterectomy. Music was the only thing that brought her joy–but by pursuing music, she found another abusive relationship (Tadpole, the club owner). She had to abandon that and reassess who she is and who she wanted to be. Music led her to create songs about her family’s history, and in that way she discovered that her abusive relationships indicated a deeper problem with her ability to relate to people, especially men. This helped her realize that she was gay. Music was the defining thread in her life and helped her overcome her initial status in life and rise to one above it–one where she was self-sufficient and finally happy.