Under the Feet of JesusUnder the Feet of Jesus

A Chicana BildungsromanA Chicana Bildungsroman

Traditional BildungsromanTraditional Bildungsroman

The struggle of a young man to The struggle of a young man to become a subject of consciousness.become a subject of consciousness.

Focused on his integration into the Focused on his integration into the social system.social system.

Looking for/at turning points in Looking for/at turning points in personal, psychological, social personal, psychological, social development.development.

Women’s BildungsromanWomen’s Bildungsroman

For women, the bildungsroman has For women, the bildungsroman has been most often about finding a been most often about finding a suitable mate.suitable mate.

Often, marriage is often followed by Often, marriage is often followed by unhappiness, or leads to madness, unhappiness, or leads to madness, brought on by the realization that the brought on by the realization that the marriage was the end of any hope for marriage was the end of any hope for self-realization.self-realization.

a more contemporary scenario for a more contemporary scenario for the bildungsromanthe bildungsroman

Women and especially ethnic women Women and especially ethnic women writers have tried to revise this writers have tried to revise this story/formula for their women characters. story/formula for their women characters.

Women in these contemporary works Women in these contemporary works become subjects of consciousness through become subjects of consciousness through self-knowledge, understanding of self-knowledge, understanding of relationships, use of or interrogation of the relationships, use of or interrogation of the uses of language, and the investigation of uses of language, and the investigation of different forms of freedom. different forms of freedom.

Search for Self-KnowledgeSearch for Self-Knowledge

In terms of awareness of sexuality and In terms of awareness of sexuality and the joys and problems surrounding it.the joys and problems surrounding it.

In terms of an understanding of death In terms of an understanding of death and its manifold repercussions.and its manifold repercussions.

In terms of an understanding of love In terms of an understanding of love and the fulfillment as well as the and the fulfillment as well as the fetters it brings.fetters it brings.

How do these “fit” Estrella’s story?How do these “fit” Estrella’s story?

RelationshipsRelationships

With older women (mother, With older women (mother, abuelitas).abuelitas).

With mythical figures (la Malinche, With mythical figures (la Malinche, Tonantzin, La Llorona, the Virgin).Tonantzin, La Llorona, the Virgin).

With the “other” – oppressor, white, With the “other” – oppressor, white, wealthy, educated . . .wealthy, educated . . .

With the “other” – patriarch, male, With the “other” – patriarch, male, patriarchy.patriarchy.

LanguageLanguage

How to overcome or break out of the How to overcome or break out of the silence imposed on you by a culture that silence imposed on you by a culture that can’t hear you and can’t see you.can’t hear you and can’t see you.

How to escape domination by the How to escape domination by the oppressor’s “tongue,” which can include oppressor’s “tongue,” which can include cultural/social expectations different from cultural/social expectations different from your own, or oppression from within your your own, or oppression from within your own culture.own culture.

How to live in the borderland between How to live in the borderland between languageslanguages

FreedomFreedom

To travelTo travel To leave homeTo leave home To have meaningful workTo have meaningful work To use her intelligenceTo use her intelligence To accept/embrace her sexualityTo accept/embrace her sexuality

Alma Luz VillanuevaAlma Luz Villanueva“I Was a Skinny Tomboy Kid”“I Was a Skinny Tomboy Kid”

and I vowedand I vowed

to neverto never

grow upgrow up

to be a woman to be a woman

and be helpless and be helpless like my motherlike my mother

but then I didn’t realizebut then I didn’t realizethe kind of gutsthe kind of guts

it often tookit often took

for her to just keep for her to just keep

standingstanding

where she was.where she was.

I grew like a thin, stubborn weedI grew like a thin, stubborn weed

watering myself whatever way I couldwatering myself whatever way I could

believing in my own mythbelieving in my own myth

transforming my realitytransforming my reality

and creating aand creating a

legendary selflegendary self