Minority Culture or Literary Style Reader: Rosalea "Rosie" Marti

Minority Definitions

Objective 1a - Involuntary participation and continuing oppression - the American Nightmare

p 2 Even after the big rancheros and the tejanos came and fenced the beautiful llano, he and those like him continued to work there, I guess because only in that wide expanse of land and sky could they feel the freedom their spirits needed.”

Objective 1d – The Color Code

p 11 …the sun was white in the bright blue sky…

p 12  ..the four directions of the llano met in met and the white sun shone on my soul

Question: Why is the sun white and not described as yellow?

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Objective 3a: Minority dilemma – assimilate or resist:  To contrast the dominant-culture ideology of racial separation from American practice, which frequently involves hybridity (mixing) and change.

Young Antonio talks of his father, a vaquero …

p 3 “It hurt my father’s pride.  He saw less and less of his old compadres. He went to work on the highway and on Saturdays after they collected their pay he drank with his crew at the Longhorn, but he was never close to the men of the town. 

p 10 All of the older people spoke only in Spanish, and I myself understood only Spanish. It was only after one went to school that one learned English

Question: Did you sympathize with the father or any of the other characters as one that is caught in between assimilating or resisting? Provide examples.

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Objective 4: individual & collective identities - To observe images of the individual, the family, and alternative families in the writings and experience of minority groups.

The discussion between Antonio parents which centers on Ultima coming to live with their family.

p 4 I knew that my father and mother did good by providing a home for Ultima.  It was custom to provide for the old and the sick.  There was always room in the safety and warmth of la familia for one more person, be that person stranger or friend.

P 39 I lived that time, fully, strangely aware of a new world opening up and taking shape for me. [ your thoughts on what I believe to be the thoughts of a very major dialog from a young child]

Question: Can you think of other examples where the image of “family” and taking care of one another is mentioned in the chapters?

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Additional thoughts to consider…

1. Does Antonio dream or have visions?
 

2. Ultima is a dominant character in this novel. Would you agree that she fits best in … Objective 2 – Gender.  What are your thoughts about how she is the foundation of this novel.  Provide examples of who she is.. (healer, teacher, what else?)
 

3. Who is the owl? Is it good? Or bad?
 

4. Lupito becomes an example of the ‘victimization’ of war. Do you believe the men who shot at him thought of Lupito to be a killer or ‘sick’? Would (the men) they understand about mental illness of those that found in war?
 

5. What are your thoughts on the ‘presence’?
 

6. What do we learn about minority culture from this novel?