The Presentation of the Self
The presentation of the self in physical form—especially by women—is a top theme in the best works of Mena. In “Marriage by Miracle” plastic surgery—yes, even though the author was writing at the turn of the last century—is central to a storyline about economic deprivation and the necessities of what women must do to survive in a patriarchal system. Even more central to the actual plot is that story which is probably Mena’s most well-known: “The Vine-Leaf.” At the heart of this story is the literal changing of the face of a murderer through the removal of an incriminating birthmark and what makes it especially fascinating thematically is that the blemish is not on a part of the body generally available for public viewing. Thus, the presentation of the self is examined—as it is in other stories—from a more metaphorical perspective in which the self is psychological rather than anatomical.
Taco Bell Literature
Although it may seem to be a criticism to suggest it, the reality goes deeper and is more complex: Mena wrote about Hispanic characters and culture in a way that has been termed “trivial and condescending” by one of the very first notable scholarly reviewers of her work. This critic goes on to assert that she depicted these characters and their culture “within the boundaries of conventional American attitudes about Mexico.” And he is absolutely right. Another way of presenting this criticism is the oft-made observation that Mena’s work is populated by stereotypes and “local color.” Again, a valid assessment that is difficult to deny.
What those who make these criticisms in a purely negative light fail to add is context. If most of Mena’s stories sometimes feel like Taco Bell version of Mexican food, it is because she—like Taco Bell—is mainly selling Mexican culture to white readers. White readers of the early 1900’s. White readers who were not especially interested in ultra-realistic, authentic portrayals of a culture they only knew through having already been exposed to stereotypes and Anglicized stories about that culture. Basically, Mena had a choice: write the stories the way she did or never be published at all.
Female Empowerment
“The Vine-Leaf” subtly and powerfully depicts the intelligence of a Mexican woman who transcends stereotypes and a stunted cultural verisimilitude while at the very same time being a fascinating representative of a certain type. Femme fatal she may be, but the marquesa is quite unique within the context of Mexican characters created to make white American readers satisfied. The title character in “The Emotions of Maria Concepcion” is likewise more complicated and complex while also existing perfectly within the limitations under which Mena was forced to write in order to be read.
The story opens with young Maria eavesdropping outside her father’s door with the patient ear of a certain consulting detective reading gauging the subtleties of psychological states of mind through the faintest alteration of sounds and scents wafting from the other side. It is a portrait of the very necessities required for feminine empowerment as opposed to less rigorously demanding abilities for men to exercise their own authority.
