In Julia Alvarez's novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, the section entitled Floor Show, fits thematically with the rest of the novel in the theme of assimilation and how it manifests itself in terms of rebellion and conformity. In this case, the Garcia girls rebel against their parents, and strive to conform to the ways of their peers. There are many instances throughout the novel where the Garcia girls are faced with social pressures that force them to ignore their culture and attempt to measure up to American standards. The relationship that the girls have with their overbearing parents also causes them to rebel, as the great the social pressures that they impose upon their daughters forces the girls to find an escape outside of the home. .
Immigrating to a foreign country is never an easy task, as there are many different social strains and demands impressed upon immigrants that influence them to conform to the social norm'. In the Garcia Girls, it becomes obvious that the parents are suffering immensely under the stress of this when they are preparing to go for dinner with a wealthy, established family, the Fannings. Mami dictates to the girls the procedures of the dinner, such as "no elbows, no Cokes, only milk,"" (168). It is evident here how nervous and tense Mami is feeling, because of the fazade she feels the need to put on in order to impress the Fannings and to "show them what a nice family [they] come from- (172). This becomes an issue with the girls as well, as they, too, are forced to assimilate into the "melting pot- of American culture. They are being forced to act in such a way that will appeal to American society, not the Dominican way of life in which they were raised. This can be extremely confusing and difficult for them, as it becomes unclear exactly what is expected of them. One parent is constantly contradicting the other. For instance, when asking for a doll, Papi responds with an immediate Yes', while Mami angrily shouts a No!' (188).
