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Mixquiahula Letters by Ana Castillo (Full version) (Characters (Teresa…
Mixquiahula Letters by Ana Castillo (Full version)
Significance? What did it represent.
Part of the postmodern chicana movement that grew in 1985.
Very different from the male movement that was more vertical and focused on their grievances. They didn't represent women correctly in their novels since it was all through a male gaze.
Had certain Characteristics
More focus on inwardness. They revealed their emotions and thoughts in a way that male writers never did. Women were seen as passive characters with no value to the plot. All of history was a huge representation of men and their leadership. women started their own movement and own novels even when they didn't have a proper education. Revealed so much more about what they went through were objectified and mistreated by the machismo and sexism all around.
Background of the book
Ana was influenced by important writers of the time. One being Julio Cortazar who wrote a novel that came with different way in which the reader could read it and so with different interpretations of the book.
Second she was influenced by anais nin who wrote more sexual books involving sexual fantasies that women had which had not been seen before. Women had not written any sort of sexual novels until now.
Something different about her novel was also the genre jumping which was not seen often where she goes from poetry to normal novel and back.
Classification
Feminist Epistolary Anti-novel
Feminist: becuase she writes about, for and because of women. She is making the true stories about women known out and loud with the powerful message that they dont have to become what society tells them too.
Epistolary because it is a collection of letters that make up the story.
Anti-novel because it is not a complete novel. We had one side of the story and nothing else. Still many parts missing in order to understand everything.
Might not be part of classification but a specific characteristic: bending - so she would jump from genre to genre as mentioned before.
Subthemes
relationship with family: Teresas family is only mentioned a couple of times and each time they are judging her in some way, either because her husband left her or because she doesn't act "lady like" she leaves to Mexico on her own with her friend completely not what women "were suppose to do" Overall the whole relationship was tense and complicated. Teresa fighting for individuality.
Machismo: Wasn't said in so many words so she never called anyone a machinist or anything but there was multiple allusions to it with the different dynamics within her family and in her journeys in Mexico. Constantly held the women back. Has been a very distorted topic because by media because used to mean that yes men were the providers but they also allowed women to have a voice.
Sexuality: Had scenes that were very sexual in nature. One involving alice where she seemed to be involved with a guy while teresa watching. Also, one letter where teresa goes into great detail about alice and how beautiful she is. Alice seems to have gone in a journey to explore her sexuality with multiple men in her path. Unheard of in those times where women had the liberty of exploring since in past women had to "save themselves" for the perfect guy.
Romantic references: speculations that Teresa and Alice were more involved with each other than just friendship. Might have been something more. But also idea that strong independent women only had each other to depend on so they stayed with each other. Build a friendship so strong that some saw as a romantic relationship.
Self-Image: Important how the characters treat themselves depending how the view themselves. Teresa trying to liberate herself from a controlling and oppressive home. From Teresas POV we see that Alicia thinks very lowly about her self and thats why she lets herself be mistreated by men. If they don't believe in themselves then they only let what others think affect them which can be extremely heartbreaking.
Race: Teresa treated like a white women in Mexico and like a Mexican in the US because was both but never truly a part in one. Constant struggle to identify as one race.
Characters
Teresa
Main character who tells the whole story. We only get her point of view throughout the novel which brings up questions on if it is in fact a full novel. Story told in a series of letters sent though-out different points in time. Teresa was the leader who led Alice through dangerous journeys in Mexico where they faced prejudice, almost rape, multiple unwanted attention from men and heartbreak.
Alice
We know about her and her life but we never find out her true feelings. The reader never gets an idea of what she is thinking or truly feeling through the journeys that they go through. Is sterile, cant have kids because when she was young she got an abortion. She impersonated an older women so since the women had had a ton of kids they made her infertile. Was often hurt by her male partners because let herself be manipulated since she was so focused on trying to prove she was pretty. Dulcinera: perfect women
Libra: Teresas First husband, she left him when she went on the first journey to mexico. When she came back followed him. First attempt at reconciliation with her husband. She didnt want to be that women that conformed to societies constructs but she still needed someone to validate her. Most men in her life only followed after them because she needed someone to make her feel loved. Using them in a way but still ended up heartbroken many times
Alexis
Met him after second trip. He was another man that she only dated because she needed the validation and someone to make her feel like she mattered in life. She let herself become someone that she didn't want to though a housewife. In the end ended up more broken than anything because she had an abortion. That abortion took a small part of her away.
Abdel: Sorta mysterious situations surrounding him. He dated both alicia and Teresa. In the end he killed himself and alicia found him but showed that in the end he as with alicia. Mysterious because there was a scene where Teresa had a child and told that is was his child. Overall very ambiguous relationships.
Ignacio
Not particular important to the story but did hold some importance in terms on how Latinos are represented by the media. There is almost no representation because of the belief that latinos dont sell. He is Teresa cousin who was trying to make it into the acting industry but just wasn't successful.
Teresa handles most of the growth that each character experiences.
Structure
External
Letter: its very important that its all letters. Why letter? they tend to be very intimate and represent a more personal life than anything could. In total had 40 letters but there was four different way to read it (ultimately there are hundreds of way to read the novel.
Quixotic
34 letters. Name referenced to Don Quixote de la mancha. Crazy character on a journey who is very optimistic for a better future. Ends and begins with Alicia and teresa being in their 30s. L2 is beginning and ends with L1. Ends with L37 so the whole way of reading it is very fragmented. The main focus is how men aren't the main characters of the novel anymore and they are not the ones calling the shots. Trying to break away at misogynistic world. L37 is where they haven't spoken to each other in a long time and seems that their friendship is in the balance. However, L1 comes and they are planning a trip to Mexico so new hope.
Cynic
32, Questions the way things are or if they are worth it. Doesn't mention her family at all since it starts with L3 where Teresa calls Alicia her sister and family makes you believe that alicia is her only family member. L4 they go to church and she says that it smells like death very philosophical description. L27 has a scene where it is very dreamlike a description of a new life being created is referenced. Allusion to Popol vuh who wrote about a creation of humankind or something. Very weird version.
Conformist
29 much shorter than the other views. Conforms with the life that Teresa has. Starts with L2-L34. She ends it with her having a son and a family so she is happy with the way her life is. She conforms to what she has. Also, no mention of her family at all so no troubled past per say and no trouble in the future.
"Traditional" Which just means reading all the chapters. 1-40 the last chapters arent really included in the other version where she and alicia where with the same guy and there was a lot of ambiguity involving them.
Internal
Personal letters that were more involved with there friendship, growing up and more.
Setting
New york And California was were they were respectively. Teresa and Alicia had their own lives in different states although they often visited each other.
Mexico: where they were exploring themselves and their sexuality. They were constantly being tested and were taught many lessons throughout. Important lessons about their lives and other.
Point of View
Only in First person and somewhat second person. Teresa told the whole story from her point of view which brings up a-lot of uncertainty. Were all the scenes truly how they were described by Teresa or did she change some things to make herself look better. Half-novel. Treats the reader as if they are alicia so the reader is getting the advice that alicia is suppose to get.
Motifs
Mosquitos: comparison to men in the sense that they were pest that only encroached in their space and bothered them to no end. Representative of bad times that they faced as well.
Blue jeans: Men saw this as a sign that they were very "liberal" which in that form meant that they were promiscuous
Religion: wasn't an important part since Teresa was not really religious mostly because religion was a major reason on why she was held back from doing what she wanted to do with her life. Religion was used as an excuse as why women should stay home and take care of the kids and the house. Did resort to it when they were in trouble especially when they faced a spirit that was out to attack alicia.
Symbols
Mixquiahuala: Small town in Mexico not exactly known for its tourist places. A and T went there as a school trip but ended up trying to find own story. Beginning of their crazy journey and exotic place to them where they were looking for answers. Teresa trying to understand more about herself.
Devil/witches: Two women traveling alone are seen as only asking for trouble because didn't bring any man with them. Calling for the devil himself to give them bad luck. witches because teresas uncle compares women to witches with their bad intents.
3: sacred number how god is seen? form of reconciliation within the novel.
Smells like death and other smells that were important. Teresa associated certain emotions to their smell. Ex. the letter that one guy from mexico sent where it smelled disgusting to her.
Blue jeans very americanized and men would build speculations based on how they were dressed.
40: has a huge weight behind it. Seen that at 40 a person should have their life planned out and worked out so its indicative of a generation. Pass their 20 and 30s not children anymore. Holds alot of symbolism. A penance or a cycle to be fullfilled. The 40 letters.
Lower case i: Women were seen as inferior to men for many centuries and the lower case i is representive of that. Men are the only ones that use I they were the leaders and women didn't. Representative of some kind feeling of inferiority. But she wrote the novel to represent her power in and how women are not inferior anymore.
Style & Language
Letters, with only two of them ending with P.S. (post-script) a narrative within a narrative to add to the dimensions of the novel. Women were often seen as unidimensional but in reality they are very complex and experience a multitude of emotions. No signatures to her letters happened 16 times not a significance in the terms of coming of age tho might be a slight connection. L21 only letter told in third person because it was too much of a painful letter where teresa was trying to detach herself from that pain.
Theory/Strategies
Showed women in a new light. Without the misogynistic lens and with a view not seen before where women are more than just objects or caretakers. One-sided view however, all in forms of letter one person to another but never see a returned letter. An outspoken women that didn't let herself be undermined by men.
Three theories. One being that there are different types of women. A strong independent women that can make it on her own. Second a shy women that has to be influenced or forced by others to interact.
Central Theme
Women hood and empowerment in the way to self-liberation!
Plot
Plotless novel: If all letters are put together then a plot can be created but for the most part its just different stories that might resemble each other but not completely the same. No plot
Narrative voice
Teresa is telling the story in her POV with no experience from anyone else. Theres also the second person POV with "you" Which involves the reader in the novel. Not a passive reader like they usually are which connects with the fact that women were seen as passive for a long time. Not anymore. Breaking all the beliefs.
Techniques
Had multiple medium.Yes had letters but within each letter she had a different medium such as flashbacks, Supernatural beings, memories and more
Intent
TO challenge the rules set by society where women dont have to conform to anything. Women for a long time were boxed in but they broke out.
Genre