Contemporary Chicano literature about postmodernism Perspective
[Abstract] Chicano
literary narrative postmodernism practices more common applications, polyphonic
narrative, fragmented narrative, fictional autobiography and epistolary means
of language and narrative are widely used. Constructed based on these creative
techniques ethnic literature constitute a written form outside the mainstream
culture and literature, deconstruction of both macro-narrative narrative
authority, also based reconstruction of New Mexico-US identity and cultural
hybridity.
[Words] Chicano
literature, postmodernism, deconstruction, reconstruction
Mexican American
literature since the 1940s has experienced considerable development, emerging
literature in the United States has become an important part of (1) with a
distinctive hybridity features from the Mexican American literature since the
date of both Latin American literature and American characteristics of ethnic
minority literature reflects the hybridity of Spanish colonial culture and Native
American culture, as well as a blend of American mainstream Anglo - Saxon
Puritan culture and Hispanic culture, this is its unique origins of the
"Three Cultures" and " times hybridity "experience.
Contemporary writers followed in the creation of some of the practices of Latin
American literature, combined with the multicultural reality of the United
States, the integrated use of a variety of non-traditional narrative means.
Academia for the definition of the existence of the "post-modern" more
controversial, but the author these practices essentially different from the
traditional literary reproduction means, in view of its distinctive "to
the center", "Irony" and "deconstruction" feature, its
identity as the performance practices of postmodernism Through analyzing these
after the modernist narrative text Chicano literature to interpret how the use
of language and writing multiple narrative to the cultural identity of ethnic
minorities based on cultural hybridity.
, Subversion and
Reconstruction
Jameson (Fredric
Jameson distortions of language and expression is an important manifestation of
the cultural logic of postmodernism.
"Postmodernism and
Consumer Society", he thinks that is a feature of postmodernism:
"obliterate some important dividing line, especially the traditional
boundaries between high culture and so-called mass culture" [1].
Contemporary odd Kano literature unique language and narrative deconstruction
of the center and authoritative, Jameson said "fragmentation" the demise
of the structural performance of the main narrative point of view and narrative
characters interspersed together, and by the Spanish interspersed with the
externalization small narrative function, achieve on the metanarrative its
authority Digestion.
An important aspect of
contemporary Chicano literature excluded from the mainstream narrative is to
create "alternative discourse" and "self-history narrative.
Cultural differences and political and economic conflicts have great Mexican
groups with the mainstream culture. prejudice, Weber (Walter Webb <<
>> in the Texas Rangers use the "brutal" and "savage"
and "greedy" and other words evaluation of Mexican Americans,
epitomized the hegemony of the mainstream culture. Pago the Leidse (the Américo
Paredes << gun hands >> on the Texas frontier of Corey folk
<< Cole Toz Song >> finishing, from the angle of the ink-American
Restatement Coulter IS HEREBY Texas Mounted Police conflict shaping dare to
resist the oppression of the Mexican-American image, strongly refuted the
mainstream culture of the Mexican groups distort Cyrus Patel commented on such
phenomena: history of the emerging literary works in the United States one of
the goals is to create a multi-Rees called 'historical': the United States
'standard history' because of the stories of some special groups excluded from
or be tampered writing within these groups ... in U.S. history contains a
country's history, and self-history is the history of a particular nation, it
usually extends to America for a very long time ago, and often originated
outside the United States border territory "[2] 577. creating"
history " subversion of authority and hegemony, but also contains a
reconstruction of self-identity.
"Reconstruction"
is also an important feature of contemporary Chicano literature.
Eagleton (Terry
Eagleton Postmodernism is defined as the challenge of truth, reason and the
grand narrative is an "esoteric, to the center of unfounded,
introspective, banter of derivative fold in as well as a diversity of art
"[3]. Hassan (Ihab Hassan also think that two important features of
postmodernism is" deconstruction "and" reconstructed ". the
the Qi Kana writer, theorist 安扎尔多瓦 ( Gloria Anzaldua << Borderland: mestizo
daughter freshmen >> "frontier" image and a new hybrid of
consciousness "this" autobiography "The basic intention is to
follow the" deconstruction "and" reconstruction "process
integration narrative structure. Although most scholars 安扎尔多瓦 Critical Theory classified to postcolonial criticism, but <<
frontier >> "fragmented", seemingly random English and Spanish
cross-use, and by these means emphasized Center digestion with the performance
characteristics of postmodernism. This confirms the West (Cornel West view of
racial issues embedded in the post-modern theories, he stressed the French
philosopher and critic emphasized The difference, edge and heterogeneity is the
Postmodernism Debate the central issue. Judging inclusive differences the new
Mixed consciousness "Indeed with obvious postmodernism color.
Although very Duoqikanuo
writers and critics of postmodernism negative attitude that it affects the ink
pursuit of the beauty of subjectivity, but in fact, Chicano writers in the
creation and drawing on some post-modernist practices As mentioned above,
postmodernist deconstruction of authoritative discourse because these
techniques can provide for the "other" discourse space, in fact,
ethnic literary subjectivity Hooks (Bell Hooks, also holds a similar view,
criticism of postmodernism universality identity precisely to help reconstruct
the different identities, the so-called ethnic identity, but the prejudices of
mainstream cultural groups of ethnic groups, she said: "Postmodernism
total is now in many other ethnic groups, even if not the same situation, but
also, and blacks have a sense of isolation, despair and doubt, there is no
sense of belonging. radical postmodernism awaken people to pay attention to
these common emotions transcend class, gender and ethnicity these emotions can
become build the fertile ground of mutual recognition and to promote awareness
of the common obligations and ties of solidarity and alliances. "[4] the
creation of the Mexico-US literature actually practice this" radical
postmodernism " narrative structure and narrative language with obvious
deconstruction and reconstruction, to more clearly reflect the relationship
between Chicano culture and mainstream culture.
Theoretical support and
application examples >> << frontier for this kind of subversion and
reconstruction of this so-called "autobiography" in both poetry and
prose style, language, mainly in English mixed with Spanish, Nande Aqsa the
Slovak dialects and indigenous languages, this kind of "code
switching" concentrated expression of the so-called "frontier
language, text layout break with tradition, using a collage style, outside of
the text of the" anti-traditional "subject to show the multiple and
complex identity of the narrator / author as "Qi Kana," female
"," writer "and" lesbian ". the many commentators 安扎尔多瓦 called" radical lesbian " However narrator clearly said:
"homosexuality is a choice (for some people, but the genetic
characteristics" [5]. Obviously, the narrator of gay identity
"select" is a manifestation of its subjectivity, is Chica Connaught
mainstream thinking of the declaration of war: as "he",
"his", the lesbian identity can let her learn more about history
outside of history, so she was able to understanding and balance Qi Kana
duality identity, resistance mainstream culture and Chicano male consciousness
injury. female of her life in a variety of edge cultural identity intersection
--- neither identify with mainstream American cultural values, not completely
identify with the Mexican cultural values, but rather different identities, to
overcome the limitations of multi-edge identity, a new interpretation of
different cultural identities. inclusive differences, "a new half-breed
awareness, and she hoped the tension generated by the multiple identities
integrated together in a more powerful force given their own subjectivity and the
right to speak, in order to achieve the challenge and subvert male authority
and cultural hegemony.
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Second, go to the
center of the narrative
Closely related to the
theme of "subversion" and "reconstruction" narrative
deconstruction of the authority "to the center of narrative" multiple
conversion narrative perspective, the more common form of narrative, fragmented
narrative, polyphonic narrative and dream narrative, such as "fragmented"
narrative is quite common narrative authority challenges and cultural hybridity
based self-reconfigurable 希斯奈罗斯 (Sandra the Cisneros's << Mango Street
house >> text performance through these forms.
<< Mango Street
house >> 46 relatively independent of short stories, and the Mexican girl
雅斯贝兰莎 the as the narrator of these stories are strung together in a series,
tells the story of the growth in the Mexican community. Novels have different
from the traditional Bildungsroman in Europe, is also different from the Chicano
literary classic Bildungsroman and family history of the novel, but rather
reflects the hybridity of the indigenous culture, Spanish culture and
mainstream American culture, from the female perspective on race and gender
identity be defined a symbol of poverty on the one hand, "Mango Street
house the shackles of its hero mental development and injury, on the other
hand, the" house "is a sense of belonging, the fetters of traditional
family values on the Mexico-US women.
novel begins Ya desire on behalf of the Spey Lansha house her own pursuit of
material life, and the evaluation criteria of the mainstream society
internalized her dilapidated house became her inferiority complex knot Even so, she
has begun to realize that independent importance. In my name, she accepted his
mother's name, but also determined to break through the limitations of the
families of the women: "I have inherited her name, but I do not want to
inherit her position in the window," [6]. Jaspers Bei Lansha also come to
realize the hope house belongs not only to her own the writing freedom
represents numerous silent brothers and sisters. "Bums in the Attic",
she showed hope to provide shelter for the homeless , "house" has
become a bridge for communication and Chicano people, is the spiritual home of
the narrator with text to create Chicano people.
To the center of the
narrative not only in the form of the deconstruction of authority, especially
seen in Qi Kana literature on the reconstruction of the archetypal image of
Mexican women, such as "the weeping woman", Marlene Qi and Our Lady
of Guadalupe The. 安扎尔多瓦 be traced back to the Aztecs, the Mother
Goddess Keya Donatelli library. << the borderland >> these female
image
In charge of the
goddess of life and death, good and evil is a complex contradictions, the realm
of the Mother Goddess "安扎尔多瓦 advocated" three female prototype
integrated, excluding the negative, passive factors, a celebration of the
positive component, create a new image of women "snake woman" is not
only the image of the "snake" Christian rewritten, subversion of the
relationship between an eagle with a snake in the Aztec culture. the Qi Kana
literature on the use of this comprehensive contradictions stand across
borders, through the use of "fragmented narrative deconstruction of the
center position of the grand narrative, to establish a variety of narrative
voices and multiple identities.
Anaya in << bless
me, Wuledima >> is another narrative style - to create the myth, dream
narrative and narrative alternating novel use of indigenous beliefs, folk
medicine and other suggestive approach has strong symbolic overtones and
mythology, has traditionally been interpreted as "magic realism".
Hicks (Emily Hicks that this term did not get rid of the shackles of dualism in
Western thought, in fact, such tactics digestion just the past, the boundaries
between the present and the future. In this "creation myth" , from
digestion binary Center diversification perspective on reality and human
survival "contradictory" the topic of exploration on the text, it
stressed that the Chicano indigenous traditional culture, to promote only
regain their historical memory to find the meeting point from the
contradictions of reality in order to explore the reality of survival. the folk
pharmacists Wuledima is the grandmother image apotheosis myth prototype
"wise" and the Chicano culture, is connected to the real world and
spirituality World, Christianity and indigenous beliefs, human and natural
bridges, play hero Antonio Mares growth spiritual mentor, guide and role of the
media. the novel interspersed ten dream narrative is Antonio unconscious
manifestation exists in his understanding of their own ethnic identity and
collective memories. "creation myth" approach makes the text beyond
the experience of Chicano groups from the wider context dropping Sochi Carnot
groups beyond contradiction, find a harmonious experience worthy of Spinoza
(Theresa M.Kanoza also stressed the universality of the meaning of the text,
that wisdom and experience allows people to transcend differences, seek
harmony. certain extent, text interspersed with alternating narrative through
dream narrative and reality to create another reality, to achieve a
deconstruction of reality. seemingly mystical folk medicine is rooted in faith
in the spiritual world of the Indian culture and spirituality of the things in
the world and the human soul interlinked natural and human meshed into an
inseparable whole, but also to subvert mainstream cultural in the
"anthropocentric.
Third, the "irony"
fictional autobiography Hassan "irony" is an important feature of
postmodernism, Kazakhstan piano (Linda Hutcheon them as the same after the core
of the modern performance practices.
<< Memories of
hunger:, Richard Rodriguez education, is the first of three autobiography
Rodriguez, has been a point of contention in Chicano literature due to the
narrator in autobiography bilingual education and affirmative action, against
the author and subject to severe criticism, which is regarded as traitors of the
Chicano culture. 'autobiography "Declaration Chicano literary considered
betrayal ethnic culture, while the mainstream cultural groups as the successful
practice of the concept of equality and freedom. this work reflects part of
Chicano writers from the cultural edge closer to the center of the facts, and
the Chicano people the difficulties faced in the process of seeking social
recognition. Luo Rodriguez called the "memory hungry >>
autobiography, but this work spiral narrative structure and multiple narrative
voices the narrator and the author shows a clear asymmetry implied narrative
unreliability Similarly, Maikekanna also proposed a "paradox":
"It is precisely because of Rodriguez's first autobiography, we do not
know who he is in the end" [7] This proves Chicano Literature The more
common fictional autobiography is a largely narrative strategy itself
postmodernism color.
Apparently
autobiographical description is the narrator from "disadvantaged social
status of children" growing process of the rise of the American middle
class. Fact, deep narrative structure is circular, which produced a text a
contradiction of the most basic, largely denied the authenticity of the
narrative itself. narrative content throughout the Chicano culture as the
center, from education, self-struggle, religion, skin color and occupation six
aspects Chicano identity argument, text Chicano cultural identity has therefore
become a discourse representation. autobiography spiral narrative structure,
multiple narrative voices, contradictions and gaps in the narrative are able to
prove that the narrative has unreliability. apparently narrator accepted
mainstream culture, betrayed the Chicano culture. academic success has brought
a return of the hunger of memory and time and time again from this sense, the
narrator accepts the education does not fundamentally change his situation: his
betrayal of the culture of their parents, will be confined to the middle class
subjective self being, the right to speak does not make him to be truly free,
so he reproduction through the language of this alienation. narrative text to
become the narrator build " edge medium of cultural identity, but also the
negation of the "memory hungry", proved once again that the
contradictions in the narrative structure can be seen through the narrative of
these contradictions between the discourse, autobiographical narrative is
unreliable narrator unreliable narrator. Narrator own image in high society for
brown skin "monster", highlighting his out of tune "tribal"
identity, but also his mockery of self-betrayal. Apart from the gap between the
author and the narrator talk about only from inconsistencies in the narrative
structure can prove the autobiographical text fact, Hasan said the
"irony" of Eagleton's "banter" [8].
This irony and
discussed earlier subversion and reconstruction. Essentially white mainstream
culture of the United States to maintain a position of authority, is bound to
affect efforts to eradicate ethnic culture, its authoritative position on the
edge of cultural subjectivity planning and transformation. although this
autobiography works appears from the language to the stylistic and thematic
follow the tradition of Western literature, but the underlying narrative
structure reflects the mainstream culture of the Mexican-American Cultural
assimilation pressure. narrator must be in the parents' culture and mainstream
culture to make a choice between these two cultures is not close, however, in
the final analysis, led his life --- mainstream culture is a culture he can
either accept the transformation of the mainstream culture, to be a part of, or
be eliminated become invisible one, there is no sound of the Chicano people.
fact, for the Chicano people have the opportunity to choose, this choice is
almost without any suspense, but also helpless. compared under the white middle
class do not need to make this choice. Cyrus Patel said: "It (his
autobiography that describes the content (almost whether it admits it or not it
is the mainstream American culture of the ethnic minorities caused damage
"[2] 571.
Other fictional
autobiography specific style and narrative technique of the same, but to the
center of the narrative and irony are all relatively common.
"Autobiography" tag also makes the narrative has a certain
metanarratives text more prominent after The modernism colors.
Throughout the concrete
application of the modernist practices in the development of contemporary
Chicano literature for decades and text, cultural conflict and hybridity is
always a core issue. Postmodernist writing to highlight the cultural
integration, but also the performance of cultural hybridity new Chicano self,
but also strengthen the subjectivity of the Mexico-US literature and creative
space. Chicano literature is not self-isolated or abandoned Chicano self-issue
in American literature, but these distinct characteristics unique sound.