Identifying Thematic Trends in “Introduction” to Little Nation

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March 13, 2020
Identifying Thematic Trends in “Introduction” to Little Nation
Understanding thematic trends is an essential tool in the critical analysis of any work. It allows the reader to be able to understand, not only what the writer meant, but also what he wants to impart to his readers. In this article, I would like to create this critical analysis of Alejandro Morales’ Little Nation. Specifically, I would like to focus on some introductory concepts that have been discussed, such as Aztlan, space, Identity, and new forms of Identity. Accordingly, this paper would also try to understand how these thematic concepts could show in the subsequent stories of Morales, and ultimately offer some of the possible research concepts that could arise from the subject matter. All in all, the author believes that understanding the fundamental concepts in a literary work would give a more productive analysis of the whole text.
Summary of the Concepts
Alejandro Morales’ book entitled Little Nation primarily talks about the story of revenge of the main character against a gang who raped a local teacher in their neighbourhood. Across the story, however, the reader is made aware of the different themes that are reflected by the reality of the lives of marginalized people in society. Here are some of the summaries of the key concepts that are recurrent throughout the whole story.
First, the idea of space. In the introduction of the book, it was primarily stated that the setting of some of the stories revolves around the Mexican (or Chicano) neighbourhood in the United States. It is a common knowledge among people that Chicanos are a part of the population’s minority both physically (i.e., financially) and symbolically (i.e., cultural segregation, representation, etc.). Thus, Alejandro has depicted the concept of ‘space,’ not only as a physical place but also as a symbolical one to show the struggle of these minorities to associate a home or a community as “their own.”
Second is the idea of Aztlan. Aztlan refers to a representation of the Identity of the Chicanos in the United States. This concept has a deep historical background among Mexicans, and over time, it also served as one of their foundations in trying to establish their distinct identity. In the introduction, it seems that this concept would be crucial, especially since finding one’s own identity in a place of overwhelming cultures could be made possible by looking back at their past.
The third concept that would be discussed is the idea of Identity. As evident from the gist of Alejandro’s story, Identity is the overarching concept that embraces one of the dilemmas in the story, that is creating, founding, and distinguishing the Chicano Identity as something unique ...