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Rituals of Survival: A Woman's Portfolio
A collection of five short stories and a novella which offers valuable portraits of New York City women and the rituals of survival that shape their lives. These tales of triumph, pathos, humor, are masterworks from the winner of The New York Times Best Book of the Year, the Jane Addams Book Award, and the Library Journal Award.
- GenresFictionShort Stories
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Nicholasa Mohr
29 books25 followersNicholasa Mohr (born November 1, 1938) is one of the best known Nuyorican writers. Her works tell of growing up in the Puerto Rican communities of the Bronx and El Barrio and of the difficulties Puerto Rican women face in the United States. She was raised in the Bronx. From 1988 through 1991, she taught at Queens College, City University of New York. From 1994 through 1995, she was Writer-in-Residence at Richmond College, the American University in London.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 16, 2026
If I were to sum up Rituals of Survival in just a few words, I'd say it is about women who can't and won't be tamed, neither sexually nor by imposed conventions of cultural and societal expectation. For when it was written and the general time period it often overtly mentions it depicts (WWII/post-WWII era NYC), in that context it is important to acknowledge how bold the collection was in the topics it chose to tackle pertaining to women, their bodies, and their sense of agency when such advocacy was in many ways altogether frowned upon, muted, or just otherwise atypical. We see it with Zoraida's newfound sexual awakening and claimed sexual freedom in "Aunt Rosana's Rocker"; Carmela's unapologetic plans for her future in "A Time with a Future"; Virginia's sexual identity and chosen nomadic lifestyle in "Brief Miracle"; and Inez's steadfast determination to pursue her calling in "The Artist," alongside mention of IUDs (126), vocalization of sexual desire (130), and even broaching the topic of sex addiction (156). And in spite of the collection being published some 40 years ago, for as supposedly "mainstream" as these same topics have become, overwhelmingly they still remain disturbingly stagnant and challenged within contemporary societies and cultures.
Though I sadly can't say I felt a connection to any of the protagonists, I respect and commend Mohr's work in Rituals of Survival for its intrepidness and do believe that if I were reading it at the time of its publication (or, at they very least, closer to then), I would likely feel differently. The entire collection grapples with prevailing chauvinism and misogyny that shapes the realities of each female main character. In "Aunt Rosana's Rocker," "A Time with a Future," "Brief Miracle," "and "The Artist," Zoraida, Carmela, Virginia, and Inez navigate imposed perceptions of what it means to be a "good wife." And all the protagonists (Amy and Lucia included) confront the restrictions placed on them and determined by male provision (or lack thereof).
As readers, we see this in "A Thanksgiving Celebration" even in the absence of male physical presence as a widowed Amy attempts to scrape by and provide for children. And dishearteningly, even in "A Time with a Future" as a likewise widowed but more seasoned Carmela has (for lack of better phrasing) "done her wifely duty" in caring for her ailing husband through to the time of his demise and acquiesced to every demand of her role as wife and mother, only to be challenged and questioned for what she's chosen for her next and final stage of life by her children.
I would say that "A Time with a Future" was my favorite story in the collection overall for the way that Carmela was unwavering in what she wanted in the face of opposition and what she felt she'd more than earned in determining her own next chapter after a lifetime of sacrifice. That tenacity is mirrored by a much younger Inez in "The Artist" with regard to her vision for her own life and aim to attain it at all costs. I found that juxtaposition (even if unintentional on Mohr's part) striking, as determination is a driving force in the stories of both characters, and each woman reciprocally echoes the other across generations. They are essentially two sides of the same coin.
Although not my favorite per se, I did appreciate Amy's calling upon hope and leaning into the stories of her grandmother for the sake of her children in the midst of privation in "A Thanksgiving Celebration." The way in which Mohr highlights the tradition of storytelling in the story and how it is actively carried on by Amy under less than ideal circumstances spoke to a resilience of drawing from ancestral strength. And in that way, the story communicated the importance of maintaining and passing down such traditions for the purpose of cultural longevity.
On a different note, I found the names Mohr selected for her characters in Rituals of Survival somewhat incongruous and bizarre. Not that they had to adhere to a Spanish stereotype, but the use of whitewashed names like "Benjamin," "Lillie," "Amy," and "Gary" were somewhat off-putting. When first encountering them in the text, I thought it might be because the characters were of mixed ancestry, but at no point was that affirmed to be the case. The only rationale I can apply is that because Mohr writes of an era when assimilation in the U.S. was paramount and immigrant identity and "otherness" were both societally shunned and punished, it could be that her use of them was to underscore the active cultural erasure taking place through the names given to subsequent generations.
And lastly, a few features I'd love clarification on if anyone has thoughts or insight!:
1.) A potential Easter egg: Amy's mention of "Mary" as her sister-in-law (83) in "A Thanksgiving Celebration." Was Mohr intentionally trying to link the families of "A Thanksgiving Celebration" and "A Time with a Future," since Mary in the latter is one of Carmela's daughters?
2.) Is it to be understood that Lucia because of the depicted dream sequence?
Noteworthy line:
"The past was still the present, and the present was not yet real." ("A Time with a Future," 40)
Though I sadly can't say I felt a connection to any of the protagonists, I respect and commend Mohr's work in Rituals of Survival for its intrepidness and do believe that if I were reading it at the time of its publication (or, at they very least, closer to then), I would likely feel differently. The entire collection grapples with prevailing chauvinism and misogyny that shapes the realities of each female main character. In "Aunt Rosana's Rocker," "A Time with a Future," "Brief Miracle," "and "The Artist," Zoraida, Carmela, Virginia, and Inez navigate imposed perceptions of what it means to be a "good wife." And all the protagonists (Amy and Lucia included) confront the restrictions placed on them and determined by male provision (or lack thereof).
As readers, we see this in "A Thanksgiving Celebration" even in the absence of male physical presence as a widowed Amy attempts to scrape by and provide for children. And dishearteningly, even in "A Time with a Future" as a likewise widowed but more seasoned Carmela has (for lack of better phrasing) "done her wifely duty" in caring for her ailing husband through to the time of his demise and acquiesced to every demand of her role as wife and mother, only to be challenged and questioned for what she's chosen for her next and final stage of life by her children.
I would say that "A Time with a Future" was my favorite story in the collection overall for the way that Carmela was unwavering in what she wanted in the face of opposition and what she felt she'd more than earned in determining her own next chapter after a lifetime of sacrifice. That tenacity is mirrored by a much younger Inez in "The Artist" with regard to her vision for her own life and aim to attain it at all costs. I found that juxtaposition (even if unintentional on Mohr's part) striking, as determination is a driving force in the stories of both characters, and each woman reciprocally echoes the other across generations. They are essentially two sides of the same coin.
Although not my favorite per se, I did appreciate Amy's calling upon hope and leaning into the stories of her grandmother for the sake of her children in the midst of privation in "A Thanksgiving Celebration." The way in which Mohr highlights the tradition of storytelling in the story and how it is actively carried on by Amy under less than ideal circumstances spoke to a resilience of drawing from ancestral strength. And in that way, the story communicated the importance of maintaining and passing down such traditions for the purpose of cultural longevity.
On a different note, I found the names Mohr selected for her characters in Rituals of Survival somewhat incongruous and bizarre. Not that they had to adhere to a Spanish stereotype, but the use of whitewashed names like "Benjamin," "Lillie," "Amy," and "Gary" were somewhat off-putting. When first encountering them in the text, I thought it might be because the characters were of mixed ancestry, but at no point was that affirmed to be the case. The only rationale I can apply is that because Mohr writes of an era when assimilation in the U.S. was paramount and immigrant identity and "otherness" were both societally shunned and punished, it could be that her use of them was to underscore the active cultural erasure taking place through the names given to subsequent generations.
And lastly, a few features I'd love clarification on if anyone has thoughts or insight!:
1.) A potential Easter egg: Amy's mention of "Mary" as her sister-in-law (83) in "A Thanksgiving Celebration." Was Mohr intentionally trying to link the families of "A Thanksgiving Celebration" and "A Time with a Future," since Mary in the latter is one of Carmela's daughters?
2.) Is it to be understood that Lucia because of the depicted dream sequence?
Noteworthy line:
"The past was still the present, and the present was not yet real." ("A Time with a Future," 40)
October 12, 2022
This book touched my heart.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews