To broaden my knowledge regarding modern literature, I focused on examining the examples of novels and stories related to the problem of diversity in American literature. I chose to read and analyze the novel The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros in 1983. While reading the book, I tried to determine how the author discussed the issue of ‘cultural hybridity’ in her work.
I have found that Cisneros discussed the experiences of Mexican Americans while referring to her background. As a result, the story told by the author seemed to be related to each American who belongs to the ethnic minority or knows persons belonging to it. From this point, this work revealed messages that were easily understood by Americans: challenges faced by minority groups, personal conflicts in the context of social conflicts, and the problem of cultural integration (Cisneros, 2013).
However, in addition to understanding the role of literature in highlighting certain issues or problems, the discussed reading experience was helpful to pay attention to literary elements used by authors to convey a message and accentuate an idea. I was able to focus on the role of a protagonist in a novel, on methods to discuss personal conflicts, and on ways of integrating autobiographical elements in the structure of the work (Martin & Jacobus, 2015). As a consequence, my perception of literature became more conscious.
References
Cisneros, S. (2013). The house on Mango Street. New York, NY: Vintage.
Martin, D., & Jacobus, L. A. (2015). The Humanities through the arts. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.