Women, Sexuality and Emotion

Alicia, one of Bells interviewees, felt accomplished for not being labelled as a ho. To achieve this image she kept her distances with men. While a few encounters with men would not make Alicia an actual ho, her neighborhood would classify her as the typical Latina woman because the average stereotypical Latina woman follows the same path that a woman of that behavior follows. An example of how identity plays a role in a woman's life stems from the fact that "In some ways Alicias family molded her into being a good girlshe was raised Catholic, and her family forbade her from dating in high school"(37) which gave the image to her family that she was a saint when they were unaware of what she could possibly do behind their backs.
             Personal history is similar to an important secret. Women use their personal histories to make themselves feel like they have stemmed away from the typical path they should follow, acquiring experiences that would classify them as a rebel, if anyone knew. Some women, such as Jayanthi, found pleasure in breaking away from the ideal history she would have had she followed her parents every rule. Personal history is a huge factor in Janyanthi's success as a person and while creating her own she discovers "there is also appeal in the drama and excitement of having crazy stories to tell and creating a history for oneself, especially if one's history previously has been defined by others expectations of what a woman should be and do"(31), in other words, having a past that one would not expect and still being successful are one of the things that offer a woman happiness. Even if no one finds out, knowing that you have done something daring gives oneself a sense of self worthiness and praise.
             In life, women work hard to build a personal history and a clean identity. The idea of doing things that arouses great criticism is appealing because it shows a woman that she is strong and that it takes a stronger woman to defy expectations which is why Jayanthi, in the beginning, felt so comfortable exploiting herself.