The Dissolution of the Family in “Pocho” Compared to “Mona in the Promised Land”


Term Paper (Advanced seminar), 2006

18 Pages, Grade: 2,3


Excerpt


Index

I. Introduction

II. "Pocho"
2.1 Background to the Novel
2.2 Territorial Obscurity
2.3 Education
2.4 Richard's Relation to his Parents
2.5 The Dissolution of the Family

III. "Mona in the Promised Land"
3.1 Background to the Novel
3.2 Mona's Relation to her Parents

IV . Conclusion

V . Bibliography

Bibliography

Baker, Housten A. Jr.: "Three American Literatures- The Modern Language Association of America", New York, 1982.

Cheung, King-Kok: "An Interethnic Companion to Asian Literature", Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Jen, Gish : " Mona in the Promised Land", Vintage Books, New York, 1997.

Lee, Rachel C., "The Americas of Asian American Literature"- Gendered Fictions of Nation and Transnation", Princeton University Press, 1999.

Meier, Matt S. and Rivera Feliciano: "The Chicanos: A History of Mexican Americans", New York, Hill and Wang, 1990.

Villarreal, José Antonio : " Pocho ", Anchor Books, New York, 1989.

Internet sources:

www.wikipedia.com

www.asianweek.com

I. Introduction

This term paper deals with two pieces of American immigrant literature of different culture, political background, time and setting. The novel "Pocho" by Jose Antonio Villareal published in 1959 was the first Chicano novel. It was written primarily for an Anglo-American audience in order to explain the life of a "Pocho". Villareal wrote the novel without any guideline as no one had entered this "political vacuum" before.1

The novel "Mona in the Promised Land" by the Chinese-American writer Gish Jen published in 1996 introduces us into the multicultural life of the predominantly Jewish New York suburb of Scarshill in 1968.

I will show in this term paper that despite the many differences in the two novels there also are many commonalities and parallels what life and the problems between the two protagonists and their parents concerns. I will furthermore try to present in detail that the familiar sorrow in both novels is closely connected with the complex conflict of generations within two cultures, as well as the protagonist's search for identity that results from this.

In the first part I will analyze Richard's changing relationship towards his parents.

In the second part I will show that also Mona despite her completely different background and environment faces similar problems which finally lead to the break up with predominantly her mother. Furthermore I will expose that Mona and Richard share common interests and ways. At the end of my work I will finally compare the parallels but also show differences between the two novels.

II. "Pocho"

2.1 Background to the Novel

The term "Pocho" is an expression for a Mexican who is born and raised in the United States. It is used with an abusive connotation to describe Mexican Americans in the USA. "Pochos" are often perceived by Mexicans to be badly-educated and without a proper sense of culture.

Jose Antonio Villarreal's novel "Pocho" is set after the Mexican Revolution of 1910 when millions of Mexicans migrated to the USA in order to get work by the so-called first "Bracero-Program". The purpose was to bring Mexican agricultural workers to the USA in order to provide needed farm labour there. The workers were provided housings which in most cases, however, were substandard. Normally the hired farm workers returned back to Mexico after having fulfilled their contracts. Nevertheless many of them stayed in the US since their earnings and their standard of living was still higher than it would have been in Mexico. The novel reaches into the period of the Great Depression when farmers and rural areas suffered as prices for crops fell heavily. It ends with America's entry into the Second World War where many Mexican-Americans served in the army.

2.2 Territorial Obscurity

The novel "Pocho" deals with the world of Richard, a Pocho whose parents came to the United States from Mexico. His father Juan Rubio, a colonel during the Mexican Revolution, was urged by having killed a Spaniard to leave Mexico and head for California as a farm worker. His son Richard is the main reason why he and his wife Consuelo decided to live together again after they had already split before.

In Villareal's novel Richard experiences intensively the conflict between his parent's Mexican traditions and his own life and environment in California. Regarding this he is stuck between achieving adulthood by his parents and his huge interest in reading books and making new friends.

Richard's father Juan Rubio explicitly represents the values of Mexican traditions to Richard. He has the strong longing to go back to his home country Mexico one day. The strong tie to Mexico is furthermore realized visually on the family's property as it makes them happy to remember Mexico in their new home Santa Clara: "(...) so that there, in the centre of Santa Clara, a small peace of Mexico was contained within the fences of the lot on which Juan Rubio kept his family."'2

After all, however, the wish to return one day never comes true as the family gets customized with the way of living in Santa Clara and, as time goes by, suppresses their wish until it seems to have been only a vague dream: "(...) until it became staccato! Next year! Next year!"3

As his father wishes to go back to Mexico in a few years from the very beginning, Richard is very disappointed when Juan buys the property in Santa Clara which is the decision to definitely stay in the USA. Up to that point Richard always believes that someday they will return to their roots.

Primary Richard realises that it will be very difficult for him to stay in the USA as he does not fully feel at home whereas, as time goes by, underlying he develops a better attitude what his life in Santa Clara concerns.

Although he has Mexican parents Richard knows that he is also American. He appreciates his education at school whereas he feels sad from the routine that surrounds him.

It becomes obvious that Richard's beginning struggle of identity is closely connected and rooted with the obscurity of where he really belongs. From very early on he is stuck in the middle between two different cultures.

2.3 Education

One way to both break his routine and forget about the problems that occur at home is his books or respectively education in general. Furthermore Richard does not regard reading books or education in general as a measure to get rich, but to forget about his inner fears like death. His Christian mother Consuelo sees this as a sign of blasphemy and even more regards Richard as an incarnation of the devil. By reading several books a week his English skills do not only improve a lot, but he also develops social advantages. He gains a lot of knowledge and as a further aspect he even tries to restore the harmony be it on the level of his friendships or within his family.

In contrary to Richard his parents do not like and even refuse to learn English. Juan Rubio does not want to speak American whether in his house or generally because he obviously thinks that he cannot lose his tradition. This is described in one way when he tells his son that he used to order ham and eggs constantly because that was all he could say before he met Consuelo.

However, Richard's intellectual development is strongly exposed by his relationship to Joe Manoel with whom he regularly has longer conversations. Richard knows that although Manoel is far different from the other inhabitants of his village he is very wise and trusts him. Manoel appreciates the boy as a good partner of speech: "He began to note that the boy was absorbing everything he sad to him."4

2.4 Richard's Relation to his Parents

Juan Rubio gives Richard a clear direction. He tells him where he belongs and what his identity is: "We are Mexicans, Richard that is all."5 This attitude is also shown in Juan Rubio's acquaints since he has merely Mexican friends.

Throughout the novel Consuelo gets in contact to her son very often in a religious manner. She can't accept that Richard does not want to take her Christian belief to the extent she appreciates it. On the opposite Juan Rubio does not want Richard to become too religious:

"Let the boy be, for he is on earth for other things! And Richard smiled that he would be spared that, at least."6

Richard also feels that his mother does not believe in his skills: "When the time comes, I will do what I have to do. (...) she would never really get to know him".7 Additionally Consuelo considers being Mexican closely connected with her belief: "All Indio, this boy of mine, she thought, except inside. The Spanish blood is deep within him."

On the contrary, Richard is strongly influenced by his father who tells him what things are like. When Richard is asked at school whether he likes to play with himself, he does not understand the meaning properly and says yes: "I would not say no, because it is true that I would rather be alone than with the Portuguese and the Spaniards"8 who his father once fought against.

Richard spends his most enjoyable moments with his father. Although he has strong feelings for his mother, he is coalesced closer with Juan who he experiences lots of pleasure whereas he recognizes his mother rather as a security in the background. The strong binding between father and son is even described as followed: "The boy associated the smell of the man with his happiness."9

During a longer conversation about death which Richard is obviously scared of, his father makes him believe that if he did not want to die, he didn't have to. In contrary to his mother Juan encourages Richard although he knows that things are not going to work out the way they want. On the other side his mother stays with both feet on the ground: "Your father talks about you being a lawyer or doctor when we return to Mexico, but he knows that we will never leave this place."10

Furthermore Juan Rubio tries to teach Richard courage and honour as representatives of his patriarchal Mexican education. After Richard flees from Zelda after a fight he tells him: "I will show what will happen to you any time you run from girls."11

Generally he educates Richard in a very conservative and traditional manner. When he talks about sexuality, he clarifies that he regards heterosexuality to be the only right one and that it should be the best way for all.

[...]


1 Baker, TTriousten A. Jr.: "Three American Literatures"- The Modern Language Association of America, New York, 1982.

2 ' Villarreal, Jose Antonio : " Pocho ", Anchor Books, New York, 1989, page 34.

3 Villarreal, Jose Antonio : " Pocho ", p. 31.

4 Pocho, p. 81.

5 Pocho, p. 99.

6 Pocho, p. 35

7 Pocho, p. 35

8 Pocho, p. 38

9 Pocho, p. 43

10 Pocho, p. 62

11 Pocho, p. 68

Excerpt out of 18 pages

Details

Title
The Dissolution of the Family in “Pocho” Compared to “Mona in the Promised Land”
College
University of Freiburg
Course
Ethnic Novel in American Literature
Grade
2,3
Author
Year
2006
Pages
18
Catalog Number
V146067
ISBN (eBook)
9783640569564
ISBN (Book)
9783640570164
File size
600 KB
Language
English
Keywords
Dissolution, Family, Compared, Promised, Land”
Quote paper
M.A. Patrick Geiser (Author), 2006, The Dissolution of the Family in “Pocho” Compared to “Mona in the Promised Land”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/146067

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