초록 열기/닫기 버튼
This paper explores the approach to life of the Nepantlera appearing in the poetry of Sandra Cisneros. According to Chicana cultural theorist Gloria Anzaldua, Nepantla literature represents the new geography of contemporary American literature. Nepantla, from the Nahuatl word meaning in the middle, describes a mode of in-betweenness, a spanning of multi-layered cultures, and it is the fluid synergy between these layers which forms the aesthetic of Nepantla literature. Nepantlera are global citizens of the new world. The paper first explores the Nepantlera’s identity in the poetry of Sandra Cisneros as descendants of artistic guerrillas living according to their own internal values, outside the norms set by the dominant culture. As urban guerrillas, they call into question the notion of the obedient woman propounded in patriarchal societies and champion their dreams for a changed life. Second, their approach to life and love is compared to a solitary tango dance, which oversteps the rules of patriarchal marriage in pursuit of full narcissism and Nepantlism. Finally, the modern Chicana are likened to witches, living a life which simultaneously encompasses both myth and reality. They negotiate the haunted perceptions of the two extremes as they co-operate with the marginalized in the name of sisterhood.
