Latin America And The World - Term Paper Example

LATIN AMERICA AND THE WORLD Thesis Culture and tradition plays an important role in the livesof the people. No matter how fast the world is modernizing and hoists the slogans of freedom, equality and justice, the very root of gender discrimination is yet to be decayed and completely abolished. Even today women face hindrances in all aspects of life, though the traditional concrete ceilings are transformed into glass ceilings, but still the ceilings exist. Women are the ultimate victims of bigotry, prejudice and discrimination in Latin America. (Azevedo,199) 2.) Culture of Latin America The combination of rich cultures from ancient civilizations of Inca, Aztec and Maya along with the history based on slavery and immigration of indigenous people and European colonization has given a unique culture to Latin America. The fascinating, interesting and rich culture of Latin America owes a wide range of Literature, Poetry, Music, Cuisine, Dance, Arts & Crafts and Movies. All the disciplines are a perfect blend of distinct regions with distinct heritage making Latin America a melting pot of diverse cultures (Chasteen 64). Visual arts are very much influenced by Spanish traditions and Portuguese rituals. French Baroque paintings rooted in Italian sacrament have influenced the Latin American artists. The literally wealthy nation has produced a lot of Nobel Laureates like Garcia Marquez, Gabriea Mistral, Miguel Asturias, Pablo Neruda and Octavio Paz. Music is a great blend of energetic drum beats from America, mesmerizing rhythms from Caribbean and heartening music from Southern countries. 3.) Brazil Latin Americans give a lot of importance to their families and relationships. Traditionally the families use to have male head and a stringent patriarchal structure where men use to have all the “say” and last word in the decisions. However, after the independence when many male family heads were either killed or imprisoned, females took the charge of the families. Montilla, a Brazilian author said that: "The traditional idea where the wife stays home and the husband works is not common anymore, the two of them are working. Its not negative in most cases. Many enjoy the space. When they come together they reconnect in a powerful way.” (Murphy) 4.) Mexico In the movie; Camila, directed by Maria Luisa Bemberg, the character of Camila narrated the situation of 1984 in Latin America. It was the time when catholic beliefs in the hands of male authorities were suppressing the existence of females. It was a step taken to break the concrete ceilings that use to exist in the minds of Latin Americans. Camila became the voice of women of that time to rescue their rights and privileges. It was a bold question posted on priests and fathers of the churches that whether Christianity is against women? Is it against love? Is it against female freedom? Does it not allow a female to take her own decisions and most importantly what if males take wrong decisions, are they bound to be obeyed and can woman raise no voice against it? The magnificent piece of magical realism where supernatural is so carefully blended with ordinary, Like Water for Chocolate is written by Laura Esquivel. The novel is a great depiction of culture and tradition prevalent in Mexico during nineties. To me the prose and plot of the novel has preserved the tradition of Latin America within itself for a time period that knows no bounds (SparkNotes). Unlike Camila this novel is a story of a female headed family where the youngest girl committed a brutal crime by falling in love with a neighboring boy. The main crime was not to fall in love but it was her ignorance to the tradition of the families of that time, the youngest girl has to take care of her mother till she dies. Tita, the unfortunately youngest daughter and an extremely good cook is the central character. She is the victim of her cruel and controlling mother who never allowed her to even think of getting settled. Tita in the novel boldly probes the authorities, the trend setters and the tradition makers that how can all beliefs, customs, rituals and folklores are against women? Esquivel has used Tita as a tool to wipe away the bigotry, prejudice and discrimination women face in their everyday dealings. 5.) Chile In the famous novel; “The House of Spirits”, Isabel Allende depicted the prevalent male dominating culture and father rivalry emerging in the women to fight the inequality and narrow-mindedness of the society. It reflected that males deems everything correct for them, they consider themselves as the righteous and reserve all the right to do whatever they want to. However, when a similar right is demanded by a female she has to bear all the cruelties and ceilings (Allende 87). “Banana Is My Business” by Carmen Miranda is a complex and probing piece of literature. It accounts, in a fascinating manner, a mega star of her times as a ragged, frayed person and an underrated artist. 6.) Conclusion Latin America is a trans-cultured region; it has a strong history based on slavery and immigration of indigenous people and European colonization and also a combination of rich cultures from ancient civilizations of Inca, Aztec and Maya. The wide range of Literature, Poetry, Music, Cuisine, Dance, Arts & Crafts and Movies makes it even a more unique and fascinating melting pot of various cultures. All the above works prose and literature is the reflection of those concrete ceilings which exist in the culture of Latin America for women. Women not only in Latin America but across the world are underrated and are victims of injustice and inequality. Family structures have changed big time and a patriarchal system is seems to have abolished as now we see women going out to earn lively hoods, single and divorced women heading families and upbringing their children and women in general moving shoulder by shoulder with men in all walks of life. However, the male domination rooted in the very core values is still a hindrance for women to propel and progress. The need of the hour is not to fight men, it is to fight the mindset that women are inferior and dependant creatures who are born to lead a life of slavery (Stevens 96). However Latin America being a melting pot of so many diverse cultures reflects unity and high sense of Nationalism. From Brazil to Mexico and Chile the viewpoint reflected by the authors and film makers has remained common. All of them perceive Latin American culture to have hegemony and male dominance. 7.) References Allende, Isabel. The House of The Spirits. New York: The Dial Press, 2005. Azevedo, Aluísio, and David Rosenthal. The Slum: a Novel. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000 Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. New York: W.W. Nor & Co., 2006 Murphy, Stacy Notaras. Embracing Latin America’s nuances. Counselling Today. Dec, 2005. n. pag. Web. 26 April 2012 SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Like Water for Chocolate.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. n. pag. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. Stevens, Donald F. “Passion and Patriarchy in Nineteenth-Century Argentina.” Based on a True Story. Ed. Donald F. Stevens. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources, Inc. 1997 Read More