Rodriguez and Mexico :: essays research papers

Rodriguez characterizes Mexico as a country with a culture of tragedy and America as a country with a culture of comedy. However, America is comedic in the Greek perceive-in the sense that America is not comedic at all. Rodriguez feels that Mexico, in being the signal of tragedy, is give way off. America, on the other hand, has to face the burden of optimism, and the subsequent let-downs. Thus, in a sense, he characterizes them in ways that oppose what he truly thinks of them. Mexico is draw as tragic-those who are of Mexican descent are often truly traditional in thought. Rodriguezs father held the traditional beliefs that old hands are wise, that life is disheartening, and near ones death is the shoot where one must look back on their life. However, he too feels that Mexico is a happier place, with sweeter children and more lavish funerals. Perhaps he views Mexico as the tragic place because it represents a lost heritage to him. He, who in his middle age, finds himself ag reeing with the Mexican ideals, nevertheless finds himself affected by living in America. Instead of being raised with the ideas of Mexican culture, he was raised with Protestant optimism characteristic of atomic number 20. He was forced to abandon the way of life of his ancestors, even if only partially. America-more specifically, California, conquered the Mexican ways, and in so doing, lost the opportunity to reconcile the Catholic southwesterly and the Protestant North. Thus, Mexico emerged as the tragic hero and California as the laughing victor. California is comedic because it is a place where it is realizable to start anew, to defy the traditional. Rodriguez views California as a reconciliation between comedy and tragedy. It is both the place where many Mexicans immigrated to and the place where Americans move to escape the constraints of society. Mexicans hoped to experience the comedy of California-where it is possible to change your sex, divorce, and become famous. Eve n Rodriguezs parents moved to California, and live in a house with many telephones and televisions.