American Literature
Prompt 1. Discuss how authors depict America as a multicultural environment
Multiculturalism in America is not a new phenomenon because the history of the settlement of migrant communities underlines the convergence of diverse groups, each with distinct cultures, traditions, and values. Hence, Gloria Anzaldua, in the poem “Horses,” depicts how the Mexicans and the “gringos” related to each other at Hargill, Texas. The imagery used in describing the horse and its experience through the field helps capture the strenuous relations between the two groups and how their interactions changed specific aspects of the Mexicans’ culture.
Thus, the image of the horse running in the fields toward the outstretched hands depicts a time of the Mexican culture’s innocence as the group immigrated and interacted with the Americans in Texas. For instance, Anzaldua notes that the horse’s nostrils were “flaring at the corn” as it thundered in the fields, which is a depiction of the allure of America for the Chicano group. The community was oblivious of any risk it might face mingling in the multicultural setting. Unfortunately, the gringos betrayed the Mexicans’ innocence because while they saw outstretched hands appearing to welcome them with corn, they ended up revealing the knives that were in the hidden hands. Therefore, the knife imagery represents the risk the Chicanos faced in the hands of the Americans. The great horse that ran in the fields demonstrates the strength of the Chicano culture in an era whereby they did not always feel out of place or ignored.
Besides, the attack on the horse as it thundered in the fields depicts the betrayal of the Chicano innocence. Their torture in Hargill reflects the emerging tensions between the Americans and Mexicans. Anzaldua says that while the horse was expecting corn, instead it met “Knives in the hidden hands” that it could not detect by its smell. Some kids attacked the horse and cut it up by hobbling its front and hind legs. Therefore, the hobble represents the treatment of the Mexicans in America, where the gringos put stumbling blocks in their paths to deter their progress. Nevertheless, since they were Americans, the sheriff declared that nothing could be done, excusing them with the argument that “boys will be boys” who followed their instincts (Anzaldua). Hence, the narrator assumes the gringos will face no consequences for betraying the Chicano culture’s innocence. The instantaneous change from hope into betrayal represents the kind of strenuous relations between the Americans and Mexicans in the multicultural setting.
Furthermore, the multicultural interaction between the gringos and the Chicanos resulted in long-lasting hatred from a time of innocence. Anzaldua observes that it is the perspective a community has of another culture that contributes to tension between them. Hence, the Mexicans felt that the Americans had a negative attitude towards them. The killing of the horse became a better alternative to hatred. In other words, it showed mercy and the response of the Chicanos, represented by the owner of the horse. In other words, the Chicanos rose to defend their culture, in a way that completely changed them forever. Since the owner represents every Mexican, only they understood the reality of the difficulty of becoming a stranger in a foreign land, and they do not wish to see the same fate befall anyone else.
In sum, Anzaldua’s poem depicts the strenuousness of the multicultural relations between the Americans and Mexicans. While the Chicanos arrived in America, hoping for a good life, the gringos betrayed the innocence of their culture by curtailing their progress. Consequently, hatred ensued out of the betrayal since the immigrant was mistreated. The betrayers also did not face any consequences, thereby complicating the life of the Chicanos in a foreign land.
Prompt 2. What does the reading say about capitalism?
The presence of the Chicanos in America exposed them to the antics of the dominant white culture in their social and economic lives. Thus, Gloria Anzaldua’s poem “El sanovabitche” captures the status of the immigrant community in the hands of an employer that disregards the dignity of the laborers. The poem represents an informative piece of American literature that underscores the labor relations of the immigrant employees with the white landowners and the response of the workers to the capitalist tendencies of the master.
For example, the poem expresses how capitalism subjects laborers to hard conditions at work without regard for their wellbeing. Anzaldua asserts that the landowner overworks the immigrant workers by having them spend up to 15 hours, thus even working past sunlight. Therefore, it means that the laborers do not have time to attend to other matters in their lives because they spend the entire day on the farm. The narrator equates the condition of the immigrants to how a farmer overworks the mules. Furthermore, the owner does not grant a day off for the workers, being denied leave on a Sunday to pray and rest and even send a letter to their families. Therefore, the employer does not respect their work-life balance, denying them the opportunity to interact socially. The overworking implies that employment drains the energy of the immigrants, which is detrimental to their physical health. Besides, the inability to contact their family members suggests they are mentally tortured that contributes to their living a miserable life of loneliness.
Additionally, capitalism in the poem overworks the laborers while depriving them of their hard-earned wages. For instance, the narrator expresses how the employer punishes the workers by threatening to retain half of their salaries for asking to be granted leave from work. He uses the excuse that they had eaten the other half by the sacks of beans, rice, and floor he had supplied them. However, the narrator feels that the deduction was unfair as the laborers couldn’t have eaten so much. Thus, capitalism overworks the employees but finds a way to deny them their earnings because the capitalist has to continue enriching himself at the expense of the workers. In other words, the immigrants become like free labor to the employer, even resorting to reporting them to the immigration officers to avoid paying them. Hence, capitalism is all about profit-making while disregarding the interests of the workers.
The capitalist also subjects the laborers to poor living conditions by paying them poorly and exploiting them. Anzaldua illustrates the residential conditions of the Mexicans in the poem, noting that they live in migrant camps with shanty walls. Therefore, the workers cannot afford to rent permanent structures, perhaps out of the poor pay they receive from the employer. There are plates scattered all over the camp, which further illustrates the dilapidated conditions of the migrants’ residence. The narrator also highlights the presence of a sewage ditch around the huts. Hence, the children do not have space to play as the trench is a hazard that required filling. The boys in the camp are shirtless, meaning their parents cannot even afford to clothe them because capitalism exploits workers with meager pay.
In conclusion, capitalism is oppressive and exploitative because it does not show regard for the wellbeing of the workers. The employer dictates the amount to pay the laborers, which is often a low pay that cannot sustain them. Due to a paltry salary, the employees live in dire conditions, and they cannot afford food or clothing for their children. The exploitative nature of capitalism relates to the overworking of the migrants without granting them leave to attend to other life matters.