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Prompt 2- The Tropic of Orange by Karen Tei Yamashita
The novel Tropic of Orange by Karen Tei Yamashita narrates a story about a magical event that commences in Mexico on the Tropic of Cancer and spreads northwards into Los Angeles. The novel interlaces together a collection of seven narratives over seven days, occurring in Los Angeles and Mexico, and its most immediately striking characteristic is the diversity of the characters. The author does not use any central character, but sections talking about Gabriel, a Chicano journalist, are narrated in the first person. Through this character, the sections of the narrative intertwine (Yamashita 14). Yamashita uses various literary techniques, including imagery, to develop a sense of suspense and discomfort in the novel’s opening sections.
Gabriel’s orange tree, particularly the fruits it produces, is planted in the Mexican side’s Tropic of Cancer. This tree generates the novel’s primary focus as the imaginary line of the Tropic becomes a physical thread, disheveled with the only orange produced by Gabriel’s tree. As the orange is moved from Mexico to Los Angeles, time and space are bend around it. The author uses this as a symbolism of how people are trafficked from Asia, the smuggling of children’s organs from Latin America, urban sprawl, imports of oranges dose up with cocaine, identity issues, homelessness, and many other vices. The author notes, “The contours of racialized space are made visible throughout Tropic of Orange, particularly through characters’ access to and experience of the Los Angeles freeway system” (Yamashita 13-14).
Yamashita manages to construct Los Angeles as much from its geography and cultural references using imagery and symbolism. Tropic of Orange is a masterpiece as well as a chaotic novel. The author succeeds in bringing the reader along for the ride using suspense by patiently orienting the readers with clarity amidst the ruckus (Yamashita 16). The narrative develops between each section, and it is clear and convincing, especially in unraveling the mystery of the orange tree. In other words, Yamashita does an excellent work by using magical realism to develop the narrative from the beginning to the end.
Work Cited
Yamashita, Karen Tei. Tropic of orange. Coffee House Press, 2017.