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Through The Eyes Of Shamans: Childhood And The Construction Of Identity In Rosario Castellanos' "Balun-Canan" And Rudolfo Anaya's "Bless Me, Ultima", Tomas Hidalgo Nava

Theses and Dissertations

This study offers a comparative analysis of Rosario Castellanos' Balún-Canán and Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima, novels that provide examples on how children construct their identity in hybrid communities in southeastern Mexico and the U.S. southwest. The protagonists grow and develop in a context where they need to build bridges between their European and Amerindian roots in the middle of external influences that complicate the construction of a new mestizo consciousness. In order to attain that consciousness and free themselves from their divided selves, these children receive the aid of an indigenous mentor who teaches them how to establish a …