Introduction
“The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez” by John Rechy is not a humanize the given sentence but an energetic portrayal that candidly reflects the hardships and gains of the poorer communities in the barrios of LA, through the eyes of the narrator, Amalia Gomez. This paper aims to delve deeper into the themes of identity, resilience, and transformation presented in the novel, using the theoretical framework provided by Gloria Anzaldua’s seminal work, “Borderlands/La Frontera: Gloria E. Anzaldúa’s book, “La Conciencia de la Mestiza” or “The New Mestiza” brings forth a unique perspective on the origins, development, and future of the Chicano community in the United States. Her work will allow me to go through the story, revealing how culture, gender, and money status add to each other in Amalia’s life- Chapters Two and Seven. This paper obtains that Amalia’s case is ‘Nepantla,’ a state of transformative in-betweenness, and her fight to engage with herself is connected with ‘Coatlicue,’ which means the pre-birth stage. Subsequently, the study will be expanded by involving visual sources such as the movie “Sin Vergüenza,” the “Sin Vergüenza” series, and the short film “Tremelo,” each presenting a unique view just like the topic under consideration.
Body
Through “The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez,” Rechy exhibits a main character in between her nature as she struggles with the borders of who she is as Anzaldua’s ‘Borderlands’ idea discussed in chapter two speaks. Amalia, a young female in Mexican American fiction, discovers her multi-stringed identity, which is shared between the traditional Mexican culture’s customs and the U.S. society’s expectations. This struggle in the quest for better relationships and self-recognition can be singled out as one of the major themes in this book. Anzalda’s theory is a significant basis on which to view Amalia’s situations as it is concerned with the source of change that is highlighted by Amalia’s location ‘Nepantla,’ which is the Spanish word for ‘in-betweenness,’ or the place where she finds herself.
Chapter seven in Anzaldua’s book is dedicated to the “Coatlicue” phase, which is a point where the inside is very smoky and warms up before a profound transformation happens. Here, a social constructionist can interpret Amalia’s path in “The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez” as a similar situation where she goes through some hardships and conflicts, representing her ‘Coatlicue’ states. Those obstacles were hurting. Nevertheless, they were sources of catalog for her further growth and change. Her suffering causes her to explore herself and her role in the world, and Anzaldua’s notion of tailing the ‘Coatlicue’ state with an awakening that will be bigger and more significant.
“Real Women Have Curves” shows the constant themes in “The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez.” Moreover, both stories report the experience of the Latinas who fight against the status quo and challenge social norms. In “Real Women Have Curves,” the main character Ana has the same two hurdles as Amalia, who is concerned about her girlie looks, which most of the girls at the shop have. However, she struggles with body image issues and the contradiction between her Anglo upbringing and her South stereotypical family. Through her exploration of finding inner peace, Ana’s character parallels the process that Anzaldua called “Nepantla,” which also happened in Amalia’s case. The movie “Real Women Have Curves” visually asserts the same themes presented in “The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez, ” making the whole film memorable and effective.
The “Sin Verguenza” series is an emotionally charged undertaking of a typical Latino household as they go through the troubles and difficulties of living, loving, and identity. The series subtly re-enacts the individual character’s failures and successes, giving the viewer exciting moments that tie to the subject matter in “Amalia Gomez Smart Day.” For instance, the series showcases the ‘Nepantla’ and the ‘Teocalli’ state as every individual figure holds out against their personal and societal problems, and thus, strife culminates in finding their true inner self. Tying in closely with Anzaldua’s conceptual framework, the supporting thesis of this paper can be further strengthened with the visual narrative, creating a compelling piece that can be complemented textually.
The short film “Tremolo” braids a sensitive plot about love and faith, which have much in common with “The Day of the Miracle of Amalia Gomez” story. The interlinkage between Tom’s bewilderment of his sexuality and the function of society and Amalia’s introspection is the same, where she explores inner self-discovery and acceptance. Despite this struggle’s difficulties, it makes an individual experience a self-understanding similar to what Anzaldúa has called ‘Nepantla. The film’s demonstration of the power of love and acceptance, the second component of this statement, promotes the idea that spirituality can be a remarkable source of transformation. This, in turn, informs about the cinematographic portrayal of “The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez,” in which its transformative power is shown.
Conclusion
The project examines three critical concepts, identity, resilience, and change, depicted in the short story Aztec Goddess Amalia Gomez. This exploration approach takes our theoretical lens of her theories of ‘Nepantla’ and ‘Coatlicue.’ The analysis was also made rich by noting the differentiating or complementary characteristics between “Real Women Have Curves,” “Sin Verguenza,” and “Tremolo.” The thesis asserts that Amalia’s elaborate journey reflects Anzaldua’s personal touches that gradually cause her to transform, a statement supported by the piece’s textual and visual analysis. In this process, we do not just help readers better understand Rechy’s novel. However, crucial conclusions and rules of Anzadua’s works also become apparent concerning the development of narrations of minority communities.
Work Cited
“Sin Vergüenza S01E01 (English).” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zF4LKmQL_U&list=PLR54SAUu3EbbP_JewR9gB6WQK2O7DAbkp. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
“TRÉMULO · TREMBLING.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPNQuCU5dPs. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
Anzaldúa, Gloria. Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. Aunt Lute Books, 1987.
Rechy, John. The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez. Open Road + Grove/Atlantic, 2007.
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