Jovita Gonzalez described the features and feelings of her folk in the beginning of the 20th century in her short folklore stories in the best way. She collected the folklore stories and later published them. But being one of the first female feminist authors, she gave to these stories her own female shade. She described the way of life of her folk from the side of women. That was one of the reasons, why she has been chosen as an example for this investigation. There are so many male authors who show the development of the Mexican-American relationships from their male view. And there have just been view female authors at the beginning of the 20th century. So this area has not been investigated enough and is up-to-date every time.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Historical occasions leading to the fusion of two cultures and the influence of it on the Hispanic literature
III. Jovita Gonzalez
IV. Folklore and its features in the short stories of Jovita Gonzalez
1. Issue of religion
2. Mexican-American Catholicism influenced by other factors
3. Connection with nature as an important factor in the life of Hispanics
V. Folklore as a mirror of everyday life of people
VI. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This work aims to analyze the cultural peculiarities and lifestyle of Hispanics in Mexican-American relationships during the early 20th century, utilizing the short stories of Jovita Gonzalez as a primary source for investigation. The study seeks to explore how folklore serves as a mirror for the wisdom, habits, and social developments of this community, with a specific focus on the intersection of religious faith, nature, and gender roles.
- The historical fusion of Mexican and American cultures and its impact on literature.
- The influence of Catholicism and indigenous beliefs on the Mexican-American religious experience.
- The symbolic connection between nature and human experience in folklore.
- The manifestation of gender roles and feminist perspectives within traditional folklore narratives.
Excerpt from the Book
1. The issue of religion
While reading the short stories of Jovita Gonzalez one can see that the question of religion is one of the most important things in the life of the Mexican-Americans. This fact has a simple explanation. After Spanish Conquistadors in the mid-sixteenth century conquered the land of Mexico, they introduced the Mexicans to Catholicism; by doing this, they changed the course of Mexican history forever. Five hundred years later, most Mexican-Americans (over 80%) still practise Catholicism.
It would be interesting to give some examples from Gonzalez’s stories to show the way Catholicism influenced the way of thinking of Mexican-Americans. The story “The Mocking Bird” gives a description of a little bird, which was proud of its beauty and its nice voice. It didn’t want to praise God for everything that He gave to it, the bird was just proud of itself. At the end of the story it was punished by God:
“As a reminder of his foolish pride, the mockingbird to this day has the white feathers of the dove. And it is said by those who know that he never begins to sing without saying, “con el favour de Dios. (If God wills it.)””
The moral of this story is that everybody has to obey God and if somebody doesn’t do it, he will be punished.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter outlines the motivation for using folklore as a research tool to understand the evolution of Mexican-American relationships and introduces Jovita Gonzalez as a pioneering female author whose work provides a unique perspective on this culture.
II. Historical occasions leading to the fusion of two cultures and the influence of it on the Hispanic literature: This section details the historical context of the Mexican-American War and subsequent immigration waves that led to the emergence of a hybrid culture and its reflection in literature.
III. Jovita Gonzalez: This chapter provides a biographical account of Jovita Gonzalez, highlighting her involvement in the Texas Folklore Society and her dedication to documenting the folklore of the Texas-Mexican border people.
IV. Folklore and its features in the short stories of Jovita Gonzalez: This chapter examines the thematic components of folklore in the stories, specifically addressing religious influence, the hybridization of Catholicism with other belief systems, and the symbolic role of nature.
V. Folklore as a mirror of everyday life of people: This section analyzes how the stories reflect human relationships and gender dynamics, noting how Gonzalez portrays women as wise and calm figures in contrast to the often stubborn or "macho" male characters.
VI. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the research findings, emphasizing the importance of folklore in documenting the struggles and identity of the Hispanic community during the 20th century.
Keywords
Jovita Gonzalez, Mexican-American, Folklore, Culture, Catholicism, Hispanic Literature, Identity, Gender Roles, Texas-Mexican, Religion, Assimilation, Tradition, Myth, Social History, Borderland.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this publication?
The work explores the cultural and social history of Mexican-Americans during the early 20th century by analyzing the folklore collection of Jovita Gonzalez.
What are the central thematic areas covered in this study?
The main themes include the fusion of cultures, the role of Catholicism, the significance of nature in daily life, and gender representations within traditional narratives.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The primary aim is to identify the peculiarities of Mexican-American life and their identity struggle through the lens of folklore stories published by Jovita Gonzalez.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, analyzing literary content as a primary historical and cultural source, supported by historical research and biographical data.
What aspects are treated in the main body of the text?
The body text covers historical influences on literature, the life of Jovita Gonzalez, the role of religious beliefs, the influence of nature, and gender relations as portrayed in her short stories.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Folklore, Mexican-American literature, Jovita Gonzalez, cultural identity, and Catholicism.
How did Spanish Conquistadors influence the religion of the region?
The conquest introduced Catholicism to the indigenous population, which subsequently merged with local beliefs to form a unique, hybrid religious experience for Mexican-Americans.
How does Jovita Gonzalez portray female characters in her stories?
She portrays them as wise, calm individuals who often navigate the patriarchal structures of the borderland society, acting as the true moral or domestic leaders in contrast to their husbands.
What is the significance of "The Mocking Bird" story?
The story serves as a religious parable illustrating the necessity of humility and obedience to God, reinforcing the central role of faith in Mexican-American folk morality.
- Quote paper
- Olesya Franiel (Author), 2006, Mexican-American folklore in the short stories of Jovita Gonzalez, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/165054
