Olga Dies Dreaming

Both Olga and Prieto Acevedo were raised by revolutionaries, and they are well-versed in the effects of the United States’ decision to annex Puerto Rico. Olga Dies Dreaming draws attention to both Americans’ ignorance of political policy on the island and the injustices perpetrated against Puerto Ricans by politicians and businessmen. Ultimately, the novel imagines a future in which Puerto Rico is free from American oversight, though its main characters are unsure about this result.

Blanca’s letters reveal that she and Johnny taught their children the history of Puerto Rico and raised them to be revolutionaries. Yet, Olga and Prieto make choices that Blanca disapproves of, leading her to believe that they have bought into the corporate, individualist system of the US. At the beginning of the novel, Olga sees herself as having achieved success within the system. She doesn’t necessarily understand her connection to her heritage, as she “felt about her mother much as she felt about Puerto Rico itself: mysterious and unknown entities” (251). She associates the nation of her parents with her cold and distant mother. As a result, she too perpetuates colonialist perspectives, ignoring or downplaying the island’s troubles.

The hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico demonstrate just how differently the US treats this commonwealth. When Irma hits the island, Matteo wonders, “How long do you think they’d let Rhode Island or Virginia sit in the dark?” (205). Matteo’s question is rhetorical: A state would of course receive emergency attention immediately, whereas Puerto Rico, which is a territory, not a state, has been forced to wait. By comparing Puerto Rico to recognized states with voting citizens, Gonzalez forces us to reckon with the question of why Puerto Rico is treated so differently.

The looming presence of the Selbys complicates this theme. At first, they seem to be greedy in a recognizable corporate way—wishing to protect their own interests even through blackmail. Their initial demands that Prieto vote a specific way on zoning or tax issues seems like run of the mill corruption. However, we soon learn that the Selbys have large sinister plans for Puerto Rico. When the Selbys ask Prieto to block the PROMESA oversight hearing, “he sadly knew that this many white men so laser focused on Puerto Rico could mean nothing good” (99). In the aftermath of the hurricane, the Selbys scheme to withhold aid as long as possible, delaying bringing electricity back to the island or deploying the solar panels that Dick has ready to go because they want as many Puerto Ricans to leave the island as possible—that way, the Selbys can acquire more property on the cheap, property they can develop into high-end hotels.

This theme comes to a climax during Olga’s segment on Good Morning, Later. Once a means for her to attract more clients and build her profile, the show now becomes an outlet for Olga’s frustration with the rhetoric around the tragedy of the hurricane. US inaction seemingly fulfills her mother’s prophecy: “The Yanqui has counted on us being asleep for years, but their neglect and exploitation is slowly waking up all of Borikén” (222). Olga uses her TV platform to ask why the United States is willing to let Puerto Rico suffer, positing that “What we are witnessing is the systemic destruction of the Puerto Rican people at the hands of the government, to benefit the ultra-rich and private corporate interests” (279). Olga is no longer willing to be silently complicit in what the United States is doing.

Meanwhile, Blanca physically manifests her plans for revolution, taking advantage of the silence and inaction to gain support among Puerto Ricans for Pañuelos Negros. In the novel’s flash to the future, this revolution comes to pass, as bombs kill innocents and guilty alike in the bid to free Puerto Rico from US control.