关键词: 桑德拉•西斯内罗斯; “三位母亲”原型形象; 重新阐释; 批判性; 奇卡纳

Abstract:

Sandra Cisneros is one of the most successful contemporary American writers, though she is criticized and questioned by the academia. Some scholars believe her works are not critical. This is not true. Cisneros’ criticisms of patriarchy, racial and class discriminations are not weaker than other Chicana feminists. She even openly declares that she is a Chicana feminist. This paper argues Cisneros’ subversive reinterpretation of the “tres madres” archetypes proves her criticalness by taking The House on Mango Street, “Never Marry a Mexican” and “Woman Hollering Creek” as the examples. In The House on Mango Street, she depicts the living condition of the women on Mango Street who live under the shadow of Guadalupe and proposes the strategy of writing for these voiceless women. In “Never Marry a Mexican”, Cisneros not only subverts the obedient and tolerant image of Guadalupe and reinterprets her as the “sex goddess,” but also subverts the “chingada” image of Malinche. Under her reinterpretation, woman is not the “chingada” any more, but the “chingón”. In “Woman Hollering Creek”, Cisneros reinterprets the traditional La Lloronaarchetype. Woman does not weep like “La Llorona” any more, but begins giggling. Through the reinterpretations of these archetypes, Cisneros not only criticizes the sexual, racial and class discriminations of Chicano and Anglo mainstream cultures against Mexican-American women, but also explores the ways of resistance against these discriminations.

Keywords: Sandra Cisneros; tres madres archetypes; reinterpretation; criticalness; Chicana