An Analysis of Mexican Traditional Cultural Heritage of Rebozo in Caramelo

【Abstract】Sandra Cisneros is one of the most influential female Hispanic writers of America. Her novel Caramelo is a masterpiece of Latino American literature.The important cultural theme of this novel is the traditional culture heritage of rebozo. It implies the ignored Mexican history and links up with individuals or scattered family members. As a consequence， the cultural heritage of rebozo is of great significance for Chicanos.

【Key words】Caramelo； traditional culture of rebozo； heritage

1. Introduction

Sandra Cisneros is one of the most influential female Hispanic writers of America. Her novel Caramelo is a masterpiece of Latino American literature. The traditional cultural heritage of rebozo is a vital cultural theme that Sandra Cisneros conveys in Caramelo. “Different from her previous works， the author does not focus too much on female consciousness. She is dedicated to the culture and history of Mexicans”. Thus， Sandra Cisneros chooses rebozo culture as the representative of traditional Mexican culture.

2. the individual cultural heritage of rebozo

As for each individual in the novel， the rebozo is in the diverse and multifaceted form. Individuals of different times as well as generations have distinct attitudes towards the rebozo. As a result， there is different cultural heritage of rebozo.

When it comes to Lalas maternal great-grandmother and her grandmother， the traditional cultural heritage of rebozo has both material and spiritual meanings， full of contradiction. With regard to Lalas aunt and her mother， the cultural heritage of rebozo comes to an extremely blank situation. As for Lala， the cultural heritage of rebozo means a kind of responsibility， which indicates the integration of return and creation.

3. the internal link among Mexican females

As the typical Mexican traditional culture， rebozo embodies representative maternal culture， involved in stories and language between mothers and daughters. The maternal culture joins Mexican females together， while rebozo is actually an internal link which puts the past， present and future together.

Mexican females history is linked by rebozo culture. In Caramelo， Lalas maternal great-grandmother inherited rebozos weaving and language from her mother. Then she passed the rebozo down to Lalas grandmother. Finally， the grandmother pass it to Lala. This is a continuation of female stories as well as relationship. The traditional culture of rebozo forms a typical maternal culture， and becomes the connector of Mexican female groups inner feelings by the means of mothers handing down to daughters.

4. the mutuality of Chicano and the motherland

“Culture is a process of constantly creating siginificance”. In this novel， modern rebozo is more abstract， symbolic， connective and mobile. On the one hand， it connects the motherland Mexico. On the other hand， Chicanos are linked with rebozo. Thus， the traditional rebozo combines the motherland with Chicanos closely. As a result， both Chicanos and Mexicans contribute to the cultural heritage of rebozo.

The cultural heritage of rebozo is of great significance for Chicanos. The rebozo of the Reyes family connects the scattered groups so that a family tree with trunk is formed. It is acknowledged that Chicano and Mexico always keep in touch with each other closely just like mothers with sons， because of the special historical background， geopolitical factors. Chicanos possess the strongest mobility among all the ethnic groups in America. Mexico is the home base of rebozo. That is to say， the traditional culture of rebozo is deeply rooted in native Mexico. The traditional culture heritage of rebozo has a significant influence on Chicanos development in America. As mentioned in Caramelo， “It reminds me that I am inextricably connected with too many people” .

5. Conclusion

Traditional culture is the essence of a nation and how to inherit as well as develop traditional culture is closely related to the development of the nation. Caramelo indicates that the multicultural heritage of the motherland， represented by rebozo， provides a practical idea for Chicanos to develop in the global times. It is Sandras culture strategy that the traditional culture heritage of rebozo shows a trend of dynamic development when it comes to the heritage of individual， groups or bilateral mutual heritage crossing borders.

References：

[1]劉文龍.墨西哥通史[M].上海：上海社會科學出版社，2008，3-18.

[3]Sandra Cisneros.Caramelo[M].Great Britain：Bloomsbury Publishing Plc，2002，102-144.

[4]Gabriella Gutierrez y Muhs.Sandra Cisneros And Her Trade of the Free Word[J].Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association，2006（2），23-36.

作者簡介： 李洋（1991.7-），山西朔州人，寧夏大學研究生在讀，研究方向：英美文學。