La Malinche Redefined: Race, G
La Malinche Redefined: Race, Gender and Agency in Sandra Cisneros's "Never Marry a Mexican" In her story "Never Marry a Mexican" Sandra Cisneros introduces the reader to the complex issues surrounding the racial and sexual identity of a Mexican-American woman living in the United States. Using a none-too-subtle comparison with the cultural-historical Malinche myth, La Malinche being the "real-life" native women who assisted Cortes by translating for him and became his lover, Cisneros reconstructs the Malinche character in a modern day context as to demonstrate its pervasive negative impact on Mexican-American women, especially on Chicanas residing within the United States. Although some may criticize this story for being a stereotypical denigration of Mexican culture, I interpret it otherwise. In creating a female character who embraces the male, sexually aggressive chingon role and internalizes misogynistic and anti-Mexican attitudes, Cisneros demonstrates the way cultural and patriarchal values are internalized by disempowered members of society and used in attempts by such members to assert their agency and power over others, even their own kind. In order to discuss the text "Never Marry a Mexican" with any validity, o
Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua. This is the sexual legacy inherited by La Malinche's daughters, one which many Chicana feminists find hard to escape. She sometimes acts as a translator, as Malinche did; however for Clemencia Spanish is now the "native" language. She is regarded as such a traitor and conspirator in the Spanish conquest of Mexico that the word "Malinche" or "malinchista" is now commonly used to describe any women who is seen by dominant Mexican society as betraying her culture. " Feminist Studies, Critical Studies. Opened for the other to look and not give back" (78). Clemencia comes to the frustrating, yet enlightening realization that the white men in her life have, like her, adopted the mantra "never marry a Mexican" when she remembers the conversation Drew and she had the last night they spent together. Clemencia seems to have little problem acknowledging her betrayal of other women. I'm vindictive and cruel, and I'm capable of anything" (68). Clemencia's relationship with Drew's son is another example of her fulfilling a sort of "vindictive sexual satisfaction". When describing sex with Drew, she says "I leapt inside you and split you like an apple. Cisneros seems to be saying that "mujeres andariegas", or daring women who reject the roles society expects of them, do not help to institutionally change society for all women but rather must betray other women in their search for personal freedom. Here Clemencia is adopting the racist Anglo discourse by lumping all Latinos into one, unified group.
Common topics in this essay:
Wicked Clemencia,
La Malinche,
Girls Bad,
Mexican Cisneros,
Sons Malinche,
Marry Mexican,
Flesh Object,
Paraguayan Uruguayan,
Mexican Clemencia's,
Spanish Maya,
la malinche,
marry mexican,
el chingon,
la chingada,
wife mother,
chingon la,
chingon la chingada,
el chingon la,
mujeres andariegas,
role mistress,
based power dynamics,
binary roles,
woman hollering,
woman hollering creek,
vindictive sexual satisfaction,
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Acceptance Essays
