The Features of Chicana Literature in The Works of Sandra Cisneros Adrienn Szőnyi College

Chicano people come from a “mixed Spanish, Indian and Anglo descent” (Madsen 6) and Chicana is the feminine equivalent of the former term. Chicana literature is about the issues and struggles that women have to face and even the difficulties that this ethnic minority has to deal with. On the other hand, the term itself refers to a feminist mission of Hispanic women who live in a culture that is highly male dominated (Madsen 10). Sandra Cisneros is one of the representatives of those Chicana writers who try to raise their voices against the harsh conditions Hispanic women are forced to live in and whose purpose is to find a way out of this struggling, tradition based lifestyle.

First and foremost, the basic features of Chicana literature are based on the difficulties of Hispanic women. The constant struggle for finding their own identity and the commitments that they have in connection with family. According to the tradition, a woman has to sacrifice her own life for the sake of family. It means that they should not have to follow their dreams but rather do everything for their husband and children. Consequently, if a woman wants a different life and wants to do what her heart desires, then she is considered morally bad by her...