The Tequila Worm

The power and importance of family tradition rooted in ancestral heritage and religious faith is a main theme of The Tequila Worm. Throughout the story, Sofia engages in, and learns about, the important traditions and rituals that have been in her family for decades, both in the United States and in Mexico, where the family line begins.

For instance, the story begins with the faith that binds the family to their community; their Catholic religion. Sofia describes her First Holy Communion and conveys the importance of accepting the symbol of Jesus into her life. But it is interesting to note that Sofia does not completely swallow the host—she clings to cultural tradition more than to her faith.

Her Catholic faith is also tied to superstition. After the debacle of the communion wafer, Sofia’s shirt is mysteriously returned to her with the pocket sewn closed. In Sofia’s faith, the traditional Catholic mores and rituals are intertwined with Mexican spirituality and magic. These rituals are also something to be questioned and to treat with thoughtful ambiguity until Sofia is otherwise convinced of their value. This concept is further demonstrated with the family’s expression of Christmas. The making of the nacimiento and the delegation of Sofia as the Christmas madrina expresses textually the family’s dedication to religious holidays. Being the madrina is an honor. During the ritual, celebrated on two separate dates, Sofia is taught that the birth of Jesus is a sacred event, not to be trifled with. When her mother thinks she is not taking it seriously, she scolds Sofia: “This is no joke…you are representing the whole family, Sofia” (179). From this moment on, Sofia truly understands that her ancestral tradition is hallowed and important; something to be treated with reverence and respect.

Not all practices are Catholic in nature. The Day of the Dead is an important Mexican tradition, and one that teaches Sofia an important lesson. When her bully, Terry, tells Sofia that Mexicans are obsessed with death, Sofia learns through experience that, in fact, this tradition in her culture helps her people accept death. By the end of the story, Sofia has a moment of deep reckoning as she understands that Dia de los Muertos is “woven like a thick vine throughout our lives, helping us transcend death itself, and compelling us to live even richer and more meaningful lives” (198).

Easter is a celebration not just of the birth of Christ, an important event in the Mexican Catholic calendar, but an opportunity for non-religious fun. When the family makes the cascarones, they are carrying on a tradition from their Mexican culture. The picnic after church when they search for the decorated eggs, then smash them on each other’s heads, is a long-standing day of joy and celebration.

Perhaps one of the signal traditions in the story is the power of the tequila worm to cure homesickness. Sofia is taught by Doña Clara, and later her father, that when you eat the worm, you cure your homesickness. As the novel progresses, the tequila worm also becomes a tradition between friends as they part ways and say goodbye. As a talisman, the worm is a powerful symbol of home and loyalty.

Importantly, Sofia’s life is built around these traditions, many that come from her ancestral home. The result is that Sofia knows who she is, and what she values. The traditions and rituals teach Sofia how to act and how to express loyalty. Cleaning the beans with her father teaches her humility and the value of silence. The author has used these traditions to string together the plot points of the novel, provide a calendar of events and to develop wise and humble characters.