I was vaguely familiar with the concept of telenovelas when I was introduced to Jane the Virgin. The show is a play on the dramatic aspects of these Latin American soap operas. It combines parts of a typical American TV drama with those of a telenovela. The integration of Latino culture into what it means to live the ‘American Dream,’ and what is sacrificed and gained to obtain that ideal plays a huge role in the show. It has a strong sense of family throughout that serves as a gentle reminder that family is forever.
It might be hard to imagine this concept if you’ve never seen the show, so I’m telling you now… it’s a must-watch. The story is based on a 20-something aspiring writer, Jane Villanueva, whose strong religious family roots have made her want to save herself for marriage. She has a great guy who is totally on board with that, but she runs into a major issue. After a routine checkup at the gynecologist, she is accidentally artificially inseminated. This makes her still a virgin, but now a virgin about to have a child.
This crazy, unrealistic event throws Jane’s life upside down. She struggles with her feelings for the man she was originally with, Michael, and the one whose sperm she is inseminated with, Rafael. Throughout her journey, she relies heavily on the advice from her mom and grandma. She wonders what the purpose of saving herself is anymore, and almost gives it up, only to remember how important it was to her for so long.
The types of things that happen in Jane the Virgin, which are typical of telenovelas, integrate the culture that the Villanuevas value, but in a way that shows their adjustment to life in the US. The grandma, Alba, struggles with the loss of her husband and respecting him in her everyday life. She was the first generation to move to the US from Peru with her husband. Jane’s mother, Xiomara, got pregnant with Jane when she was very young and had to deal with the disappointment of Alba. Not to mention Jane’s father, Rogelio, who they are estranged from until partway into season 1.
The show sheds light on the act of striving for goals in life and how the ‘American Dream’ may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Jane goes through a lot to rediscover her passion for writing. She makes sacrifices and struggles to be able to keep up with her busy drama-filled life and the son she gives birth to. Eventually, she becomes a published author, but even then she faces setbacks and has to continue to keep the end goal in mind. The father of her child, Rafael, starts off the show as a trust fund baby in line to own a hotel. Through more of the show’s insane drama, he loses and regains the hotel and his money. In the end, the show emphasizes the fact that the family he relies on through his connection to Jane is what keeps him going. In fact, it is what keeps all the characters going.
Jane the Virgin isn’t your average TV drama. Its far-fetched plot line makes viewers understand the characters in a deeper way. It has parts that are extremely relatable to what we experience in everyday life and other things that keep the entertainment factor going. Add Jane the Virgin to your watchlist and I promise you will not regret it.
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