JE #6

All of the characters in Arturo Islas' The Rain God are severely handicapped by their cultural schizophrenia and other traits of colonialism.

Mama Chona--10+.  I wish I could rate her higher.  I have such disdain for her.  She hates herself more, though. 
Angie--7.  I feel sorry for her, and I loathe her.  She suffers from internalized sexism and defers to her husband, Felix.  However, she does nothing to stop Felix from molesting their son, JoEl.
Miguel Grande--8.  Stereotypical macho Chicano male. However, I think Islas hints at his bisexuality by his stays at the YMCA.
Miguel Chico--5.  He is difficult for me to rate.  I admire the fact that he left his family to gain some semblance of independence.  However, he has not dealt with his demons; therefore, he is still colonized and harbors internalized homophobia.
Juanita--7.  Like many of the women, she suffers from internalized sexism. She has the option to leave Miguel Grande when she finds out about his affair with Lola.  However, she tolerates his transgressions.  I do think there was lesbian erotic energy between her and Lola.  Had they not been so colonized, perhaps they could have all lived together in a menage-a-trois.
Lola--4.  I think she is not as colonized as the rest.  She does not deny herself erotic pleasure.  However, this comes at the expense of her best friend, Juanita. I admire her for leaving and moving to California.
JoEl--0.  His trauma at the hands of his father, Felix, has allowed him to explore another realm of consciousness.  To us and to the other characters, he appears to have problems with drugs and with his sanity, but I think he is the only one who can clearly see the hypocrisy and absurdity of their lives.
Nina-4.  I rate her lower on the scale because of her rebellious nature and her belief in the supernatural.  She has not forsaken the spirits as the Catholic Church commands.
Lena--3.  Although her character was not fleshed out as much as I would have liked, she seems to be very headstrong and perhaps would not make the same mistakes as her mother, Angie.