When most people think of Mexican culture, they think of good food, music, and clothing. Although these are major aspects, the culture has also been affected by literature. The history of Mexican literature can be broken down into distinct periods and areas: pre-colonial, colonial, satirical writings, independence, modern, and present day. Each of these areas resulted in famous authors, works, and awards.
To begin with, Mexican literature dates back to pre-colonial times. The earliest works by Indians include the Popol Vuh, sacred books written in the Quiche language by the Maya of Guatemala. Manuscripts of the Aztec empire and dramas by the Inca can also be traced back to this time. These works laid the foundation for Mexico’s unique and rich literary history.
Additionally, the colonial period produced great works. The centers of colonial rule were Mexico City, Lima, Rio de Janeiro, and Bogota. Early texts were chronicles of the conquests and descriptions of these settlements. Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortes can be credited with much of these writings, although other explorers contributed their findings as well. During this period, authors such as Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Bartolome de la Casas, and Antonio Vierra. This is also when the first notable mentions of poetry are found. The 1500s-1600s were a time of artistic creativity much like that of Spain and Portugal. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a talented Mexican nun, was on the same level with the best European literature. She is known as the first great woman writer, often called the Tenth Muse. Cruz is still well known today for her amazing poetry. Other poets of this time included Juan del Valle y Caviedes, Gregorio de ...
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...velists are doing an excellent job of making sure their culture survives. The books they create are entertaining yet give a reader valuable knowledge of a culture different from their own.
Malpass4
In summation, Mexican literature has added much to the world’s society as a whole. The history of Mexican literature is as unique as the culture itself. It can be broken down into the areas of pre-colonial, colonial, satirical writings, independence, modern, and present day. The authors of both past and present have made sure that Mexican culture will survive through literature. Although Mexico will always be famous for its food, the literature is amazing as well.
Works Cited
Mexico Maps. 13 May 2010. 13 May 2010 .
Semple, Adam. The New Book of Knowledge: Volume L. Danbury: Grolier Incorporated, 2002.
A type of literary composition would be genre. The genres and literary forms for this book were put into the following categories: semi-autobiography, memoir, poetry (confessional versus conceptual), myths, subjective journalism, Mexican sayings (dichos), critical ethnography, historical narrative, personal narrative, and auto historia. This is a semi-autobiography and a memoir because...
Vendidos or the sold out ones by Luis Valdez is an enlightening film about the Mexican struggle for survival in the United States. It is thought provoking and challenges the viewer to question some of the history and values that American education has engrained into our lifestyle. Although, the film is only about twenty-five minutes long, it is packed with symbolism and information about the Mexican history in the US. In particular, the film explores the Mexican identity issue.
of the native tongue is lost , certain holidays may not be celebrated the same , and American born generations feel that they might have lost their identity , making it hard to fit in either cultures . Was is significant about this book is the fact it’s like telling a story to someone about something that happened when they were kid . Anyone can relate because we all have stories from when we were kids . Alvarez presents this method of writing by making it so that it doesn’t feel like it’s a story about Latin Americans , when
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the cultural and societal foundations were laid for the newly formed nations of the America. Both José Enrique Rodó and Jose Marti made large contributions to the development of Latin America through their literature. Both sought to improve and encourage the people of The America’s, however it is Jose Marti who truly succeeds in inspiring a national pride in his writing Our America.
In this Essay, I will enlighten you about the “Dia de los Muertos” in the Spanish culture. It will contain the history of the holiday, the events that go on during it, and the food eaten on that day. One thing that you must remember is that Dia de los Muertos traditions vary from town to town because Mexico is not culturally monolithic.
The Old Gringo, by Carlos Fuentes, is an intriguing, multicultural novel that exhibits the differences between the Mexican and the North American inner nature. The novel takes place in Mexico, during the Mexican Civil war which lasted from 1909 to 1913. The Mexican civil war, or the Mexican Revolution, began when Francisco Madero challenged the Mexican dictator, Porfirio Diaz. Porfirio Diaz ruled Mexico for 35 years until he was put out of power by Francisco Madero when Diaz was caught blatantly rigging the election. (Put citation here)
In 1910, the first social upheaval of the 20th century was unleashed in Mexico. Known as the Mexican Revolution, its historical importance and impact inspired an abundance of internationally renowned South American authors. Mariano Azuela is one of these, whose novel, "The Underdogs" is often described as a classic of modern Hispanic literature. Having served as a doctor under Pancho Villa, a revolutionary leader of the era, Azuela's experience in the Revolution provides The Underdogs with incomparable authenticity of the political and social tendencies of the era between 1910 and 1920. The Underdogs recounts the living conditions of the Mexican peasants, the corruption of the government troops, and the revolutionary zeal behind the inspiring causes of the revolution. In vivid detail and honest truth, Azuela reveals the actuality of the extent of turmoil that plagued Mexico and its people during the revolution. However, before one can acknowledge The Underdogs as a reflection of the Mexican Revolution one must have an understanding the political state of Mexico prior to the Revolution and the presidents who reigned during it.
In the essay “Corridos and la pura verdad: Myths and Realities of the Mexican Ballad, Villalobos and Ramirez-Pimiento discuss the Mexican Corrido, the issues it relates to, and its relevance to the border culture. The issues the corrido relates to involve the question as to whether the descriptive verses in the ballads are factual or fictional. The corrido is relevant to the border culture because many of the subjects are drug traffickers that are regarded as heroes.
The history of the Mexican American people predates by many years the incorporation of the Southwest into the United States. Native to the Southwest, the Mexican American people have a history marked by the Spanish and then by the Anglo Americans. This early history, perhaps because of the proximity of the southwestern states to the Mexican border, has left a legacy of conflict that is p...
During the late 19th century and early 20th century, a form of Mexican folk music called the corrido gained popularity along the Mexico-Texan border (Saldívar). Growing from the Spanish romance tradition, the corrido is a border ballad “that arose chronicling the history of border conflicts and its effects on Mexican-Mexican culture” (Saldívar). A sort of “oral folk history,” the corrido was studied intensely by Américo Paredes, who then constructed his masterpiece, George Washington Gomez, around the “context and theme” of the corrido (Mendoza 146). But the novel is not a traditional corrido, in which the legendary hero defends his people and dies for his honor. Instead, through its plot, characterization, and rhetorical devices, George Washington Gomez is an anti-corrido.
Mexican food is influenced by the ancient civilization. For examples the Mayans ate corn tortilla with a bean paste that covered the tortilla. The Aztec found out that mixing and squishing different types of vegetables makes a savory appetizer they call salsa. They also learned how to make what are now called tamales. When the Spaniards came they brought over milk, rice and other products that were new to Mexico. But have now remained in the cuisine.
Alfredo Corchado — is the author of the book named " Midnight in Mexico:A Reporter's Journey through a Country's Descent into Darkness”. We are, probably, all interested in finding out the facts, news, and gossips about Mexico. This country was always associated with something mysterious. For me personally, the title of the book seemed to be very gripping, I was interested in revealing the secrets of life in Mexico, thus I decided to read this book. I was really curious, what can Alfredo Corchado tell me about the life in this country, the country, where the constant massacre is the picture, people used to see. In his book, the author tells the reader about the real situations, which took place in Mexico, reveals the secrets of the people’s lives and tells the story from the “inside”. He describes the way he lives his life, and does his work. The " Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter's Journey through a Country's Descent into Darkness” is a memoir. Author tries to transform his own experience into the story line. Corchado shows the reader the darkest episodes of Mexican society, while relying on his own experience.
Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995. 119-123.
Mexicanas, su gente, su geografia, su flora; “Guadalajara, que justo titulo puede llamarse la reina de Occidente... semejante a una mujer dotada de hermosura regia...”(11). Y continua describiendo otros aspectos de Mexico los cuales
...ave satirized the Boom, defining it as the most exclusive club that the cultural history of Latin America has known." ) Clearly, modern Latin American writers live in the shadow of these men and their prodigious work. However Latin Americans may feel about the Boom and the legacy which it left, there can be no doubt that it also paved the way for Latin American writers in many ways by making them visible to the rest of the world.