Relationship between speaker and reader

I found an interesting connection between the speakers in "Saturday Night at the Pahala Theater" and the reader who was forced to confront certain vulgar and uncomfortable aspects of these girls lives. It takes a while for the reader to make sense of who Kala, Tita, Girlie and Lucy are talking to when the word "you" is presented, and we are left to assume they are either talking to each other, to Lucy, or even directly to the audience. By dragging the reader into this narrative, the speakers are creating a relationship not normally found in society. These embarrassing, lewd, and aggressive moments shock the reader and cause feelings of  confusion, and even distress as we learn about abusive moments young girls had gone through. The writer brings up questions in the readers mind about whether these are confessions or secrets the speakers haven't shared with people in their lives. By observing the truth about a stranger, readers are confronted with thoughts of their own secrets hidden away from sight, and begin to sort through traumatizing or embarrassing childhood  moments. This allows the books presence to linger in the thoughts its audience.

On page 41, the writer pauses from her use of pidgin in order to show the contrast between Tita's usual speech and the way she speaks and presents herself to boys. Tita states that "You cannot let boys know your true self," and allows the reader to see the difference between how she acts around her friends and how she must portray herself in society in order to appear hapa, or racially mixed between Asian and Pacific Islander. This is interesting advice coming from the speaker, because it contradicts her association with displaying her "true self" in these poems. The reader can sort through her thoughts, habits, and provocations in order to form their own opinions about the speakers.

-Jessica St.Martin