This research is going to deal with the factors that have influenced Santiago’s hybrid transformation. In order to facilitate this, the main focus of this paper will be put on her progression concerning national identity, cultural identity and gender identity. Our goal is to find out to what extent Santiago’s hybrid transformation becomes visible when further analysing her identity development.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Hybridity
3. Search for Identity
3.1 National Identity
3.2 Cultural Identity
3.3 Gender Identity
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Thematic Focus
This academic paper examines the hybrid transformation of Esmeralda Santiago as depicted in her memoir "When I was Puerto Rican," analyzing how her relocation from Puerto Rico to the United States influenced her multifaceted identity development throughout her youth and young adulthood.
- The theoretical conceptualization of hybridity in postcolonial literature.
- Progression of national identity through the lens of migration and cultural assimilation.
- Exploration of cultural identity in the context of the "jíbara" archetype.
- Analysis of gender identity and the constraints on female roles in Puerto Rican society.
- The impact of geographical displacement on personal self-conception.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 National Identity
The Oxford Dictionary defines “National Identity” as “[a] sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture and language”. In Santiago’s case, already the beginning of her memoir emphasises her strong relationship with her homeland Puerto Rico. The carefulness with which she describes the “large and juicy, almost seedless” (3) guava, which is one of the most popular fruits in Puerto Rico, underlines how the image and the taste of it have stuck in her head even though it has been a long time since she last had a guava as she states: “I had my last guava the day we left Puerto Rico” (4).
Despite their delicious looks, however, Santiago decides against buying them. Instead, she says:
Today, I stand before a stack of dark green guavas, each perfectly round and hard, each $1,59. The one in my hand is tempting. It smells faintly of late summer afternoons and hopscotch under the mango tree. But this is autumn in New York, and I’m no longer a child.
(Santiago 4).
This shows that Santiago still nostalgically thinks back of her childhood in Puerto Rico but also knows that there is no return which is why she simply pushed her cart away and left the guavas behind and instead walked “toward the apples and pears of [her] adulthood” (4). This action indicates that Santiago is willing to adapt to her new grown-up American identity but that she also still carries her Puerto Rican identity around with herself. Consequently, the question her readership might ask themselves, namely “when was Santiago Puerto Rican?”, is answered right at the beginning of the memoir: the last day she was Puerto Rican was the last day that she had a guava on her way to the airport.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the primary research interest regarding Santiago’s hybrid transformation and outlines the methodology of analyzing her memoir through national, cultural, and gender perspectives.
2. Hybridity: This section provides a theoretical framework by defining hybridity through the concepts of postcolonial scholars like Homi K. Bhabha and Tom Nairn, establishing it as a central analytical tool.
3. Search for Identity: This chapter examines the core progression of Santiago’s personality, broken down into specific dimensions including her national, cultural, and gendered experiences.
3.1 National Identity: This part analyzes the metaphorical significance of the guava as a symbol for Santiago’s separation from her homeland and her beginning integration into American society.
3.2 Cultural Identity: This segment explores the complex relationship Santiago has with the "jíbara" identity, showcasing how her perception shifts due to cultural differences between rural and urban life.
3.3 Gender Identity: This section investigates the pressures and traditional expectations placed upon young Puerto Rican women, framed by the dialogue with her mother regarding the transition to becoming a "señorita."
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the evidence, confirming that Santiago’s hybridity, born from multiple relocations and cultural clashes, ultimately fostered her development into a self-confident woman.
Keywords
Hybridity, Esmeralda Santiago, When I was Puerto Rican, National Identity, Cultural Identity, Gender Identity, Jíbara, Postcolonialism, Migration, Identity Development, Puerto Rican Diaspora, Memoir, Assimilation, Cultural Displacement, Subjectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper explores the identity formation of Esmeralda Santiago in her memoir, specifically focusing on how her immigrant experience leads to a "hybrid" transformation.
What are the central themes discussed in this analysis?
The core themes include the negotiation between Puerto Rican traditions and American societal expectations, the concept of cultural heritage versus assimilation, and the impact of rigid gender roles.
What is the main research question of the work?
The central question is how and to what extent Santiago’s hybridity, as revealed through her national, cultural, and gender identity development, is reflected in her narrative.
Which scientific methods are applied to this study?
The work uses a qualitative literary analysis, applying postcolonial theory—specifically concepts by Homi K. Bhabha—and sociological identity theories to interpret the memoir’s text.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The body chapters dissect the memoir chronologically and thematically, analyzing the symbolism of the "guava," the cultural significance of the "jíbara" archetype, and the complexities of gender expectations.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Prominent keywords include Hybridity, Postcolonialism, Puerto Rican identity, Diaspora, and Gender Roles.
How does Santiago’s nicknames in the book relate to her hybridity?
The distinction between her name "Negi" and "Esmeralda" illustrates an early "split" in her personality, which the author highlights as a pivotal moment of questioning her own identity.
What role do the relocations play in Santiago’s identity?
The author argues that not only the migration to the United States but also relocations within Puerto Rico exposed Santiago to different cultures, fundamentally changing her personality.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2018, Hybridity in Esmeralda Santiago’s "When I was Puerto Rican", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1266571
