Ask The Dust Analysis

In the 1930’s the time had come to where the Great Plains region was devastated by the drought. Oklahoma, Texas, and their neighborhood states such as Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico had heavy winds, very little rainfall, and not a lot of soil causing the residents to hurry and grab their belongings and leave as soon as possible because the Dust Bowl had arrived and was ready to stay. Not only was the drought hitting the farmers hard emotionally but also financially because the drought made the economic conditions worse. The farmers plan to make it out of the Great Depression was to move to the great sunshine state of California. California was the land of a promising future for people. A place for them to escape the Great Depression and live

But why? Isn’t he in the city where there is easy living and opportunity? In 1939, Americans were discriminating against one another for being any of the minority races or nationality or religion that was not in the mainstream. In the book “Ask the Dust” Arturo explains how he was discriminated for being an italian american as a child. Never learning from what had been done to him, he took his pain out on his love interest in the book, Camilla Lopez. Camilla who was ashamed of her mexican heritage tried to be with a white heterosexual male to break free from her heritage. She was looking for someone who could try to help her learn how to read so she could become a full american citizen. Arturo was upset with Camilla because she tried to change herself by wearing shoes with heels, and wearing a face full of make up, ditching her huaraches shoes because she was ashamed to be mexican. Although Arturo faced some prejudices for being Italian, Camilla faced a lot more prejudices for being Mexican. For instance, the Alta Loma Hotel where Arturo stayed in Bunker Hill did not allow mexicans to stay there. Fante shows that Los Angeles in the 1930’s was a big melting pot from having Asians, Japanese, Mexicans, Blacks, Jews, Catholics, etc all live in the same city. In this way, Fante shows that people who live in Los Angeles pre judge each other but it is absurd

Arturo would most likely be portrayed as bipolar in today’s world with his mood swings and his strange behaviors. His insanity is apparent because he is fearing of being a failure in life and trying to become successful in the not so friendly city of Los Angeles. As he begins to see some success with his writings, his sanity becomes more stable. As for the other characters in the book such as Camilla, Hellfrick, and Vera, they do not get the opportunity like Arturo to become successful in Los Angeles. Therefore Fante portrayed these characters as insane throughout Ask the Dust. For instance, Camilla is diagnosed as insane over her rage that she faced trying to find acceptance from Sammy. Camilla who seemed to be stable in the beginning, working as a waitress at her job and being able to challenge Arturo’s insults with thoughts of her own seemed to spiral down as she became stuck between Sammy and Arturo. Struggling with finding success in Los Angeles, Hellfrick is portrayed as a man who just has bad luck. When he goes as far to steal a calf from his mom and kills it, he crosses the line of obsession leaving the city of Los Angeles to drive him insane. And Vera, who Fante introduced to the novel as already being insane bombarding Arturo’s home in hopes that she will get acceptance and affection from him. Her insanity is due to the fact that she