mexican gothic essay

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Mexican Gothic

Silvia moreno-garcia.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Mexican Gothic: Introduction

Mexican gothic: plot summary, mexican gothic: detailed summary & analysis, mexican gothic: themes, mexican gothic: quotes, mexican gothic: characters, mexican gothic: terms, mexican gothic: symbols, mexican gothic: theme wheel, brief biography of silvia moreno-garcia.

Historical Context of Mexican Gothic

Other books related to mexican gothic.

• Full Title: Mexican Gothic
• Where Written: Vancouver, Canada
• When Published: 2020
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Gothic Horror
• Setting: 1950s Mexico, El Triunfo
• Climax: Noemí, Catalina, and Francis escape from High Place.
• Antagonist: Howard Doyle, the gloom
• Point of View: Third Person

Extra Credit for Mexican Gothic

Inspiration. The town of El Triunfo is based on the real-life town Real del Monte, which Silvia Moreno-Garcia visited a few years before writing the novel.

A Villainous Name. The name of the novel’s chief antagonist, Howard Doyle, is a fusion of H.P. Lovecraft’s first name and Arthur Conan Doyle’s last name. Moreno-Garcia noted several stories in each author’s body of work that contained racist elements, so she chose to name her villain after them.

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Mexican Gothic By Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Ibrahim Saidajan Mr Hay ENG4UE-00 25 July 2023 Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: A Marxist Literary Analysis "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a haunting and captivating novel that explores the complexities of power, class struggle, and exploitation, seen through the lens of a Marxist literary theory. Set against the backdrop of 1950s Mexico, the novel unravels the story of Noemí Taboada, a young socialite who ventures to High Place, a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside, to rescue her cousin, Catalina. As we delve into the narrative, we witness how the characters are entangled in a web of social hierarchies, reflecting the Marxist perspective of society's inherent class divisions. This essay aims to analyze …show more content…

This is shown when Francis, a member of the Doyle family, refers to the indigenous workers as "the help" (Moreno-Garcia, 2020, p. 40). By using this demeaning term, Francis reinforces the idea that these workers are nothing more than expendable labor, emphasizing the power dynamics between the upper class and the lower class. Another example of this is when Virgil Doyle, the patriarch, exploits the workers' fears by spreading rumors of a deadly disease in the area to discourage them from leaving. He exclaims, "It's all over now. You can't run away. The sickness is here, and it's going to get you" (Moreno-Garcia, 2020, p. 266). This tactic not only keeps the workers bound to High Place but also ensures their continued compliance and …show more content…

The indigenous workers at High Place are not only physically isolated but also culturally segregated, leading to a sense of disconnection from their own identity. This is demonstrated through the character of Marta, who tells Noemí, "We aren't allowed to speak Zapoteco" (Moreno-Garcia, 2020, p. 140). The denial of their native language further alienates them from their roots, making them feel like outsiders in their own land. Additionally, the novel portrays how the wealthy exploit the vulnerability of the working class, further exacerbating their alienation. When Noemí confronts the family about the horrible working conditions, Francis coldly replies, "We give them work, and we give them food. That's more than they'd get from anyone else" (Moreno-Garcia, 2020, p. 187). This statement underscores the unequal power dynamics that leave the workers feeling voiceless and

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Examples Of Marxism In Like Water For Chocolate

Rylan Schutz Ms. Ivers World Literature 18 April 2023 Mexican Revolution Through the Marxist Lens “There are some things in life that shouldn't be given so much importance if they don't change what is essential.'' (Esquivel) This quote shows that no matter how high or low you are in society the essentials should be more important than the materialistic items. By analyzing Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel from the Marxist lens one can better understand more about how the economic lives of the characters affect the outcome of the book.

Marxist Criticism In Time Of The Butterflies

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It is unpleasant, but it was what she could afford, “By reputation, the Overseas park is a nest of crime and crack…” (274). Low income workers have limited options when choosing a home, where their best options are places like the Overseas park. Mantsios’ claims on class standing can be validated through Ehrenreich’s personal experiences living in an unsecure, but convenient area. If Ehrenreich had a better class standing, she would not live in

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Jennifer Chun in her chapter “The Symbolic Leverage of Labor,” discusses the powers which workers, especially marginalized workers hold, and strategies through which the workers can increase their power. In this paper, I will first discuss the impact of globalization on declining structural power. Then, I will discuss how changing public perception in classification struggles and public dramas can be used to increase symbolic power.

Class Struggles In Under The Feet Of Jesus

The thick viscous tar further symbolizes the oppressive weight of the capitalist system that keeps farmworkers trapped in economic hardship. Through this example Viramontes is able to convey the way that societal norms pull down on immigrant families and these pits serve as a parallel to the thought process that no matter how long one can live in America there will still always be an immigrant part to a person and it becomes insult over injury if one is of lower class status, and one will always have that part of oneself pulling them

Summary Of Mexican American Culture

Throughout “The Mexican in Fact, Fiction, and Folkore” examines the term “Mexican” as it is applied in Southwest literature and argues the Anglo society has made a conscious effort to misrepresent Mexicans (Rios 60). He states the people of Mexican descent are viewed as un-American because they are perceived as filthy, lazy, and dumb. Ricatelli adds to the conversation of Mexican stereotypes by examining the literary expressions of Chicanas and Mexicanas in the literature of both the United States and Mexico. In “The Sexual Stereotypes of The Chicana in Literature” Ricatelli explains how in Yankee literature, the Chicana is referred to as the “fat breeder, who is a baby factory” meanwhile the Mexican is described as an “amoral, lusty hot tamale” (Ricatelli 51). He makes note of these stereotypes in order to highlight the ethnocentric and nativist points of view that dominated Anglo literature.

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The House on Mango Street is set in a poor, primarily Hispanic neighborhood. Author Sandra Cisneros creates an atypical, yet easily digestible world for the reader to experience while learning about Esperanza’s childhood. The culture of her environment influences Esperanza’s development as she becomes a young woman, and contributes to the book’s driving theme of self-empowerment. Mango Street is the source of Esperanza’s growth through her childhood, and it hides sadness and longing underneath stereotypes of Hispanic people. The characters that live in the broken-down neighborhood all seem to represent pigeonholed views of Latino individuals.

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More about Mexican Gothic By Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Mexican Gothic Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the novel, Mexican Gothic. How does the title reflect the main characters? How does the title reflect the novel’s themes and conflicts? How does the title’s meaning change over the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Although the world of Mexican Gothic is firmly rooted in the physical world, the characters of the novel frequently confront the supernatural world. How do supernatural phenomena affect the novel’s characters, plot, and themes?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the author’s choice to tell this story by using a third-person perspective. How does viewing the action through a third-person perspective affect the story? How would the novel change if the story was told through the first person?

Essay Topic 4

What do you think the future has in store for Noemí, Francis, and Catalina after the close of the...

(read more Essay Topics)

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Oct 21 Mexican Gothic

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Title & author

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Synopsis 

In Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic , protagonist Noemí Taboada confronts both sexism and racism, heading out of a 1950’s Mexico City and into the ominous countryside to save her ailing cousin from a dangerous marriage, only to find a family consumed with patriarchal values and eugenics.

Who should read this book

Fans of The Water Cure and Women Talking

What we’re thinking about

How depictions of patriarchal expectations shape interpretations of consent

Trigger warning(s)

Physical violence, sexual violence, slurs, sexism, mental health, racism

Although the gothic genre, notorious for its dark, decrepit architecture, sickness (particularly in women), and gore, often calls to mind classic titles such as Frankenstein , Wuthering Heights , and Jane Eyre , it has not by any means gone unnoticed by contemporary creatives. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight and Jason Peale’s Get Out both draw upon gothic characteristics to shape their world and plotlines. And like Get Out, many do so to explore ever present societal issues such as sexism and racism. In Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic (Del Rey, 2020), protagonist Noemí Taboada confronts both, heading out of a 1950’s Mexico City and into the ominous countryside to save her ailing cousin from a dangerous marriage, only to find a family consumed with patriarchal values and eugenics.

“You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me. I cannot save myself as much as I wish to,” writes Noemí’s cousin Catalina in a letter to her cousin (Moreno-Garcia, 8). Immediately, Moreno-Garcia introduces gothic elements into the text: a sickly woman and the eerie characteristics that impact her. And though Catalina might hope to save herself, an immediate nod to feminism, she cannot. So Noemí, a socialite from Mexico City who is only convinced to leave by her father’s promise that she can attend graduate school goes, with little knowledge of her cousin’s new family other than Catalina’s brief engagement and rambling letter. 

But it is not long after her arrival at High Place that she discovers its occupants consuming belief in white supremacy. Upon meeting Howard, her cousin’s new father-in-law, he asserts that she is “much darker” than Catalina, going on to ask her “thoughts on the intermingling of superior and inferior types” (29, 30). The family is obsessed with eugenics, their library shelves flooded with titles on the subject. And when they first came to Mexico from England, not only did they bring their own soil believing it to be more fertile, they treated the local workers they hired with “no mercy” (126). The family doesn’t care to protect them, believing them to be inferior because of their race. 

Similarly, Noemí realizes their patriarchal values as they immediately scoff on her ambition. “You get your way in most things, don’t you, Miss Taboada?” challenges Catalina’s husband Virgil (54-55). After meeting with Catalina’s doctor, Noemí’s insistence that her cousin’s condition be further evaluated is met with disbelief and belittling. Virgil reminds her of a man that “held her far too tightly and tried to kiss her. She turned her head, and when she looked at him again there was a pure, dark mockery across his features” (55). Like the man in this memory, Virgil seems to believe that Noemí (and all women) are beneath men. They cannot hold their own thoughts, and when they do, they are automatically ridiculed. As the story progresses, the extent of Virgil and his family’s belief in the patriarchy is made exceedingly clearer. “A woman’s function is to preserve the family line,” Virgil’s father Howard tells Noemí (75). Nevermind a woman’s ambition, desires, or consent, her sole purpose at High Place is to bear children and continue the family name. 

Moreno-Garcia’s depiction of consent raises an interesting conversation. “ They can make you think things,” a voice tells Noemí (182). Virgil frequently forces himself upon her, and though Noemí knows “she was petrified...the victim of the gorgon,” she finds herself believing that “he wasn’t an intruder. He wasn’t an enemy” (182, 183). Virgil warps Noemí’s thoughts and actions, causing her to give in to his pursuit. But underneath, she knows that she does not want this advance, and only once she remembers this is she able to snap out of the trance. In a novel filled with patriarchal expectations, how does this complicated depiction of consent shape our understanding of it? If an individual who did not understand or believe in consent were to read this (granted these individuals are most likely not Moreno-Garcia’s targeted audience), would they understand the nuance that lies below, or would they incorrectly believe Noemí’s body’s reactions to actually be a sign of her pleasure and desire? 

Nevertheless, by way of Noemí, Moreno-Garcia exploits patriarchal expectations, a too-frequent feature of the original gothic literature stories written by men. As Noemí and Catalina look to escape High Place, the image conveyed is also them both escaping marriage (or the prospect of marriage) and an endless life of serving the family’s men. It also is them pursuing reproductive rights-- their desire to not bear children, at least not at this time in this way. 

Moreno-Garcia’s decision to tell the story through a gothic lens enhances her exploration of racism and sexism in Mexico during the 1950s. The eerie nature of the genre lends itself to the cruel and impactful effect prejudice has, particularly when intersectional-- when Noemí faces it two fold at High Place because of both her race and gender. But while her story might draw on the classic genre, she largely subverts it. The women are the heroes of the tale and Noemí does not fulfill the “sensitive” persona often given to gothic protagonists, rather being determined and strong. In doing so, Mexican Gothic lends a much-needed update to the 18th century-originating genre, showing potential for other authors to use the lens to explore critical issues of society today.  

“ A woman who is not liked is a bitch, and a bitch can hardly do anything; all avenues are closed to her. ”

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