Anzaldua's Social Commentary

Through social commentary, Anzaldua expresses the feelings and flaws that Latin@s see in themselves as a way to illustrate how they have been treated by Latin@s. Across history, groups of humans in power have put other groups of humans down as a way to maintain their power. This constant condemnation of a group of people leaves said group of people with the feeling that the oppressors have reason for the oppression. Anzaldua and her commentary is an example of this history when she writes, “As a person, I, as a people, we, Chicanos, blame ourselves/ hate ourselves, terrorize ourselves” (Anzaldua 67). There is a phenomenon known as the looking glass self. This looking glass self is the idea that over time you will begin to see yourself as other
One of the most powerful types of writing Anzaldua uses in this novel is her physiological personal anecdotes. She, on multiple occasions uses metaphorical and somewhat mystical words to portray her ideas and experiences with her own subconscious. She uses such words to recount one of her first experiences feeling “wrong:” “I was two or three years old the first time Coatlicue visited my psyche, the first time she “devoured” me (and I “fell” into the underworld). By the worried look on my parents’ faces I learned early that something was fundamentally wrong with me” (Anzaldua 64). This passage does two things for her writing. Firstly it uses those mystical metaphors “devoured” and “‘fell’ into the underworld.” These types of words portray the mythical and somewhat unknown nature of the subconscious. Secondly, this passage again addresses the “fundamental wrong” that Anzaldua speaks on. This wrong that the Chican@ population has seen in themselves. This time though it is a wrong due to another stigma, this psychological trip that Anzaldua goes on, this “‘[fall]’ into the underworld.” This devouring and this seemingly psychological takeover, whether one believes it is as Anzaldua writes it as, a spiritual quest or a more socially approved mental break is something different from the norm. She mentions the “worried look on [her] parents’
Espada writes that; “Violence is terribly seductive; all of us, especially males, are trained to gaze upon violence until it becomes beautiful” (Espada 41-42). Something beautiful is something that is aesthetically pleasing, violence something very different from what is usually considered beautiful. Violence is ugly and gory and it is pain and suffering, all things that are not aesthetically pleasing. However Espada explains how men “are trained to gaze upon violence until it becomes beautiful,” meaning that men will look at violence until it is aesthetically pleasing to them, until when they look at violence that are pleased. This is a very scary idea, the idea that something so ugly and horrible can begin to appear pleasing to people is worthy of fear. Espada continues, “Beautiful violence is not only the way to victory for armies and football teams; this becomes the solution to everyday problems as well. For many characters on the movie or television screen, problems are solved by shooting them” (42). Hurting people, acting on this violent tendency is easy, it is so much harder to be kind. So much of our society is built around violence, Espada notes “armies and football teams,” two examples of organized activities centred around violence, both essentially