Never Will Be That Redhead Barbie Doll

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Sandra Cisneros was born on December 20, 1954 in Chicago Illinois. Cisneros now lives in San Antonio, TX. Sandra Cisneros was the third child an only daughter out of 7 children. As a Latina, she writes a lot about her experiences in the United States. Sandra Cisneros is best known for her literary work “The House on Mango Street” written in 1991. In addition, Cisneros had received many awards for her work including Mac Arthur Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, and a Texas Medal of the Arts.
Sandra Cisneros portraits Clemencia in various ways in “Never Marry a Mexican”. Clemencia is stuck in an interracial world, she wants to fit in, not only fit in but become better, become more powerful and loved. Clemencia is a very resentful woman, she is full of hatred, not only for others but also within her own self. Clemencia is a mistress of several men, but one in particular who she happens to find herself in love with, Drew. Clemencia becomes extremely obsessed with her relationship with Drew. “You think I went hobbling along with my life, whimpering and whining like some twangy country-and-western when you went back to her. But I’ve been waiting. Making the world look at you from my eyes.” (pg. 59) Clemencia’s resentment against Megan, Drew’s white wife, goes beyond the necessity of having Drew, but also involves the belief that she will never be like that “ redheaded Barbie Doll in fur coat” (pg. 64) referring to Megan due to the racial inequality she has grown to experience throughout her life.
Clemencia doesn’t want to take the place of Megan, or of any other fooled white woman but instead accepts the fact that she will never be the wife, but always the mistress in contrast to an anglo lady and she is...

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...in this article Clemencia is not falling into becoming anglicized, but instead she is making him part of her and influences him, “My Malinalli, Malinche, my courtesan, you said, and yanked my head back by the braid.” (pg.58)

Works Cited

Wyatt, Jean. "On Not Being La Malinche: Border Negotiations of Gender in Sandra Cisneros's "Never Marry a Mexican" and "Woman Hollering Creek"" Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature. 1 & 2 ed. Vol. 14. [S.l.]: Univ Of Tulsa, 1995. 243-71. Print.
Fitts, Alexandra, and University of Alaska. "Sandra Cisneros's Modern Malinche: A Reconsideration of Feminine Archetypes in Woman Hollering Creek." Sandra Cisneros's Modern Malinche: A Reconsideration of Feminine Archetypes in Woman Hollering Creek 29 (2002): n. pag. 2002. Web
Cisneros, Sandra. "About Sandra Cisneros." About Sandra Cisneros. Dennis Mathis, Apr.-May 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

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