Never Marry a Mexican
Alyssa Fonseca
Professor Denton
English 1A
14 October 2012
Never Marry a Mexican Clemencia said, “So, no. I’ve never married and never will. Not because I couldn’t, but because I’m too romantic for marriage. Marriage has failed me, you could say. Not a man exists who hasn’t disappointed me, whom I could trust to love the way I’ve loved. It’s because I believe too much in marriage that I don’t. Better to not marry than to live a lie” (69). In the short story “Never Marry a Mexican” by Sandra Cisneros, a young woman named Clemencia has issues with marriage and trusting men, because of her mother’s influence and everything she’s seen in her life. Clemencia’s subconscious decision to never marry a Mexican was caused by her mother’s disapproval of her father, her mother’s own affair while Clemencia’s father was in the hospital, and finally Clemencia’s own affair with a white man named Drew. The statement, “Never marry a Mexican,” (68) shaped Clemencia’s prospective on marriage and men, which made her mistrust both and believe that Mexicans are unworthy of love. The first reason that caused Clemencia to never marry a Mexican was her mother’s influence to never marry one. Clemencia’s mother was a Mexican-American from the U.S. and her father was from Mexico, and while Clemencia and her sister grew up her mother would always tell them to never marry a Mexican. “I guess she did it to spear me and Ximena the pain she went through. Having married a Mexican man at seventeen. Having had to put up with all the grief a Mexican family cam put on a girl because she was from el otro lado” (69). Clemencia’s mother was Americanized and there was a major cultural clash in her marriage. Clemencia’s mother disapproved of Clemencia’s father’s beliefs. Because Clemencia’s father worked hard to provide for his family; he wanted Clemencia’s mother to stay home and take care of their children. What Clemenica’s mother meant by never marry a Mexican was, never marry a traditional
Professor Denton
English 1A
14 October 2012
Never Marry a Mexican Clemencia said, “So, no. I’ve never married and never will. Not because I couldn’t, but because I’m too romantic for marriage. Marriage has failed me, you could say. Not a man exists who hasn’t disappointed me, whom I could trust to love the way I’ve loved. It’s because I believe too much in marriage that I don’t. Better to not marry than to live a lie” (69). In the short story “Never Marry a Mexican” by Sandra Cisneros, a young woman named Clemencia has issues with marriage and trusting men, because of her mother’s influence and everything she’s seen in her life. Clemencia’s subconscious decision to never marry a Mexican was caused by her mother’s disapproval of her father, her mother’s own affair while Clemencia’s father was in the hospital, and finally Clemencia’s own affair with a white man named Drew. The statement, “Never marry a Mexican,” (68) shaped Clemencia’s prospective on marriage and men, which made her mistrust both and believe that Mexicans are unworthy of love. The first reason that caused Clemencia to never marry a Mexican was her mother’s influence to never marry one. Clemencia’s mother was a Mexican-American from the U.S. and her father was from Mexico, and while Clemencia and her sister grew up her mother would always tell them to never marry a Mexican. “I guess she did it to spear me and Ximena the pain she went through. Having married a Mexican man at seventeen. Having had to put up with all the grief a Mexican family cam put on a girl because she was from el otro lado” (69). Clemencia’s mother was Americanized and there was a major cultural clash in her marriage. Clemencia’s mother disapproved of Clemencia’s father’s beliefs. Because Clemencia’s father worked hard to provide for his family; he wanted Clemencia’s mother to stay home and take care of their children. What Clemenica’s mother meant by never marry a Mexican was, never marry a traditional