Identity in the Short Story, “Mericans”
The “mericans” is a short story by Sandra Cisneros which is set in a small village in Mexico. The author employs many settings to explore theme of and create a visual effect to the cultural environment as portrayed in the short story. There is a mix of the use of Spanish words, traditions such as kneeling in a church which can be used to visualize the inherited cultural behaviors in the society. One of the most fundamental aspect which can be noticed from the short story is the use of the word “barbarian” by the “awful” grandmother, which is used to portray the cultural differences between the young girl and her grandmother and the birth place of the girl. This is an aspect which exposes the theme of identity in the short story, and how it brings the conflict between the young girl and her grandmother. In this case, the author explores this theme by benchmarking it on the native culture of the grandmother and that of the young girl.
One of the most visible aspect in the aspect of identity between the two is the conflict of ages, where the grandmother is promoting the traditional or cultural way of life and the girl represents modernity. The grandmother is a person living in two conflicting cultural worlds, where she does not associate and approve her American culture-leaning girl but clings to the traditional cultural heritage. She is conflicted between imbuing to her grandchild, the culture of her people and the westernization, which mostly irks her. She identifies more with the Spanish culture and inclines more to its traditions. However, the children here, despite being appearing to be Mexicans, are mostly English-speaking, meaning they identify more with the American culture than the one of her grandmother.
Due to the influence of globalization and diminishing digital gaps, there has been tremendous cultural exchange where many people in the world today are embracing the pop culture. Through some of the agents of Westernization such as music, films and fashion, the world has come to associate with the American culture which promotes freedom of conscience, equality, and self-determination as the essence of having a meaningful life. The young girl struggles to understand the cultural heritage of her grandmother and takes a lot of effort to do it. However, she embraces more of the American culture (modernity) and takes no reference to the traditional heroes of her grandmother. She cannot enter the church and practice the Mexican ways, and, they cannot enter the plaza, where they can play in modernity. In this case, her identity is characterized by modernity, while being on the transition from the old to the new. Many times, society has tried to resist the modernization of lifestyles, but they have been always being overtaken by time and events. For example, the issue of same-sex marriages, mercy killing, modes of dressing, and freedom of worship has been one of the most controversial identity aspects which have been in conflict between the old and the modern worlds.
The children in the story seem to play in a carefree manner, without bothering what their grandmother is doing. At times, a religious parent can consider of attending church regularly, but the children would not fancy accompanying them because religiosity has lost its meaning in their world. Also, the issue of expression of sexuality through dressing creates an identity crisis where the old culture would promote modesty, while the modern one would promote flashiness and sexiness. This is a kind of personal identity which brings about the issue of conflict of identity between the old and new, and the aged and the young. The children want to enjoy the modern world, but they are withheld by their heritage
Culture is a huge aspect that plays a critical role in the identity of person. it is what makes people different from others and gives one a sense of belonging and pride.
The short story ends when the children, the young girl, and her two brothers are talking to some tourists, who are taken by surprise to learn that the children can speak in perfect English and that they identify themselves as the “Mericans”. These two aspects, the religious grandmother and the carefree children playing outside the church, is a representation of generational contrast and values which are brought about by the generational gap. Change is usually inevitable and people usually identify with more versatile aspects of society which spur personal development and create opportunities. To conclude, as per the identity crisis in the short story, the young ones do not care much about their language, their values, or their heritage, and thus, they are at risk of losing their roots, which their grandmother is determined to protect.
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