Within sectors of North America's African-American community, the colloquial expression "being touched by the brush" describes a multi-ethnic individual that possesses subtle Negroid physical features which are only detectable by close inspection by a "trained eye." Here, Edison discusses the historical factors in Puerto Rico and Panama that make up the foundation upon which Francisco Arrivi's "Los Vejigantes" and Carlos Guillermo Wilson's "Chombo" were constructed.;
Examines the role of abolitionist and feminist ideals in Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda's novel Sab. Highlights the power and gender relations in Sab, suggesting that previous interpretations of the novel have not addressed the role of these relations as a function of race relations in the slave colony of Cuba. Discusses the themes of interracial relationships and personal identity.;