The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: An Analysis of Vida’s Non-Chronological Narrative Life is not a singular momentous journey; it is a multitude of experiences and events that shape not only one’s life, but one’s character. In Vida, Patricia Engel manages to construct a multilayered novel that produces a synergistic effect—the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. By constructing Vida in non-chronological order, Engel manages to convey a realistic account of finding one’s self by reminiscing upon distinct life-changing moments and the subsequent realization of the individual self. Although the chapters seemingly have nothing in common, in the sum of their parts they form a complete portrayal of Sabina. In fact, as Engel asserts, it is not the momentous occasions in life that are the most profound to one’s personal development—the most consequential moments are “uneventful, the way most life-changing moments are. You don’t see them happening” (44). Ultimately, by employing a non-chronological narrative—along with other literary elements—Engel skillfully conveys the personal history of Sabina, while fragmenting time and place. Thus, each chapter is a representation of the person who Sabina was at that time—her feelings, her language, her tone—and that is constantly changing as a girl is growing into a women, and attempting to figure out who she is as an individual. As previously noted, the goal of Engel’s non-chronological narrative is to allow the distinct moments in life to be able to stand individually on paper. Consequently, this lends to the ability to change point of view in various individual chapters. Specifically, Engel changes narration in two chapters in the novel: “Green” and “Cielito Lindo.... ... middle of paper ... ...process of looking back upon different defining moments and reflecting upon them. Thus, as Engel herself explains, Vida is “arranged as a map of Sabina’s emotional memory. The stories are told as she would have told them to a friend, a slow confession, and in the revelations, she draws her own connections” (Bancroft). Thus, by telling Sabina’s story nonchronologically, Engel was able to convey the development of the individual through reflection. Through the use of various literary elements and the non-chronological structure, the transformation of Sabina is both reflective and relatable. Word Count: 1,602 Works Cited Bancroft, Colette. “Review: Patricia Engel’s ‘Vida’ Makes Young Columbian-American’s Struggle a Universal Story.” Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times, 18 Sept. 2010. Web. 17 May 2014. Engel, Patricia. Vida. New York: Black Cat, 2010. Print.
Gloria Anzaldúa’s unique writing style in Borderlands/La Frontera creates a more simple understanding of the complexities of identity through the eyes of a feminist-Chicana writer. Anzaldúa uses long, fast paced descriptions, alternating languages, and feminist perspective to really keep readers engaged throughout the passages. Anzaldúa often allows readers into her intimate memories to create a better understanding of living as a Mexican-American in Texas.
In Elvia Alvarado’s memoir Don’t Be Afraid, Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks from the Heart, she expresses the struggles that people such as herself, and numerous other Honduran citizens face every day. Elvia Alvarado was a Honduran woman, who was considered a peasant. She was born into a poor family in the countryside of Honduras. The book retails stories from Alvarado’s life and the obstacles she is forced to overcome in hopes of achieving a better life for herself and the people around her. She faces oppression due to her social class, ideals, and especially her gender. At the same time though, she is able to find support through these communities. While the odds are stacked against Elvia Alvarado, she is able to continuously preserve,
"Julia Alvarez." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 8 Dec 2013.
Previously, the narrator has intimated, “She had all her life long been accustomed to harbor thoughts and emotions which never voiced themselves. They had never taken the form of struggles. They belonged to her and were her own.” Her thoughts and emotions engulf her, but she does not “struggle” with them. They “belonged to her and were her own.” She does not have to share them with anyone; conversely, she must share her life and her money with her husband and children and with the many social organizations and functions her role demands.
Islas, Arturo. From Migrant Souls. American Mosaic: Multicultural Readings in Context. Eds. Gabriele Rico, Barbara Roche and Sandra Mano. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1995. 483-491.
Torres, Hector Avalos. 2007. Conversations with Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Writers. U.S.: University of New Mexico press, 315-324.
The story “Woman Hollering Creek" by Sandra Cisneros describes the lives of Mexicans in a Chicago neighborhood. She depicts the life that women endure as Latino wives through her portrayal of the protagonist, Cleofilas. For Cisneros being a Mexican-American has given her a chance to see life from two different cultures. In addition, Cisneros has written the story from a woman’s perspective, illustrating the types of conflicts many women face as Latino wives. This unique paradigm allows the reader to examine the events and characters using a feminist critical perspective.
Delgadillo, Theresa. "Forms of Chicana Feminist Resistance: Hybrid Spirituality in Ana Castillo's So Far From God."Modern Fiction Studies. 44.4 (1998): 888-914. Delgadillo, Theresa. "Forms of Chicana Feminist Resistance: Hybrid Spirituality in Ana Castillo's So Far From God."Modern Fiction Studies. 44.4 (1998): 888-914. .
Elena Poniatowska escrita durante una epoca de cambio en Mexico. Antes de sus obras las mujeres mexicanas eran sometidos, docil, y pasivo. En la tiempo de sus obras las mujeres estaba tratando salir de los estereotipos de antes. Esta problema social tomo un afecto en Elena. Aunque ella no viene de un movimiento literatura directamente, ella escrita con el concepto de compremetido. En su narrative El Recado ella crea un mujer estereotipical que no puede controlar sus emociones. La titula es eso porque ella viene a ver su amante, pero el no esta, asi ella escribe las cosas que sentia. La perspectiva es de un personaje y ella nunca interacta con otros personajes. En facto la unica descripcion de un personaje otro de la protagonista es de su amante Martin. Habla de otros personajes, pero solamente de sus acciones. Porque ellas es la unica perspectiva que tenemos es sencillo a sentar compasion para una protagonista de quien nombre no aun sabemos. Ella da la descripcion de toda que vea, y mas importante todo que se sienta. Tambien tropos y figuras retoricas dan un tono significante al poema. Estos sentimientos de la portagonista y el tono emocional de la narrativa transporta una tema de una mujer estereotipical y debil quien quiere ser reconocido.
...dia's position on the outside of everything forces her into a position of greater strength. Although hurt, the observations she makes mold her into being able to handle difficulties more easily. The loss of innocence which Claudia faces unintentionally is vital to the role she plays in society and in her life. Her thoughts hold a more realistic view of life and human behavior. She sees the pains and sorrows that life truly is constructed of. Claudia feels that she has missed out on so many opportunities and is not included the way others are. Her strong character generates a feeling of both isolation and separation, but, in reality, she tastes life more closely than most people are able to in a lifetime. Although Claudia's passion to be included is unrequited, she is filled with the strength, character, and pain that make her a more knowledgeable and resilient person.
...the backdrop of today’s political and social ideals I might not have felt much empathy for Esther as I do with her placed in the Cold War era, with limited life choices for intelligent, fulfillment seeking women. Women of this era were confined by their femininity and it left those who were more intellectual thinkers to feel unfulfilled in their expected gender role of ‘housewife’.
In Helena Maria Viramontes’, Under the Feet of Jesus”, a girl named Estrella fails to realize the importance and true meaning of things. Estrella’s character develops through the help of literary elements such as detail, symbolism, and tone.
The struggle to find a place inside an un-welcoming America has forced the Latino to recreate one. The Latino feels out of place, torn from the womb inside of America's reality because she would rather use it than know it (Paz 226-227). In response, the Mexican women planted the seeds of home inside the corral*. These tended and potted plants became her burrow of solace and place of acceptance. In the comfort of the suns slices and underneath the orange scents, the women were free. Still the questions pounded in the rhythm of street side whispers. The outside stare thundered in pulses, you are different it said. Instead of listening she tried to instill within her children the pride of language, song, and culture. Her roots weave soul into the stubborn soil and strength grew with each blossom of the fig tree (Goldsmith).
In republishing Herculine Barbin Foucault sheds new light on the memoirs of what is now called the first intersex narrative, Alexina, as Foucault calls her in his introduction, tells the story of her life including the medical discovery in her adulthood that leads to her legal gender change. In his description of Herculine Barbin , Foucault suggests that Alexina’s happiness lies the “limbo of a non-identity” . I will continue to use the name Alexina and she/her terms throughout the essay, for ease, however these terms are insufficient as the translation of the German makes it difficult to “render the play of the masculine and feminine adjectives” . Foucault alludes to a time in Alexina’s life that is in direct opposition to when she has been
Since Alida’s life as a “Mrs.” was centered around her husband, she has had a hard time discovering her newfound identity as a “Ms.” “In living up to a husband all her faculties had been engaged; now she only had a daughter to live up to” (515). Yet, Alida sees her daughter as a disappointment because she is without the “vividness” of her mother (515). Alida’s jealousy of Grace’s daughter Barbara lays the foundation for the ironic ending that is to come in the final scene of the story. Alida wonders “how two such exemplary characters as [Grace] and Horace had managed to produce anything quite so dynamic,” (517) and admits that “I always wanted a brilliant daughter... and never quite understood why I got an angel instead” (517). Alida’s deep-rooted envy of Grace ultimately drives her to resort to disclosing an old secret in attempt to finally declare social victory over her supposed