Literary Analysis Essay

In both literary works, “In Response to Executive Order 9066: All Americans of Japanese Descent Must Report to Relocation Centers” by Dwight Okita and “Mericans” by Sandra Cisneros, the developed themes use narratives to develop the American identity theme. Both of them, one being a poem and the other one a short story, the little girls’ narrative symbolizes both lacks of independence and an emotional appeal for identity.

For instance, in the poem by Okita, there was a declaration of war between the United States of America and Japan and begins with the executive and presidential order 9066, which demanded that all Americans of Japanese descent should report to relocation centers. The poem proceeds to use the 14-year-old Japanese American girl narrative to show how confusing her identity becomes when she states that “I feel more American than Japanese” and compares herself with her best friend whom they have fallen apart since she is white, thus symbolizing the conflict between whites and Japanese. As the identity theme continues to develop in the little girls’ narrative, the girl is classified and a true Japanese, and her loyalty as a Japanese-American has been compromised thus, making her identity unclear as she is taken to an unknown location.

Similarly, in “Mericans,” a short story by Cisneros, the theme of identity transition is developed. The little girl is in a dilemma between two worlds, one being the ‘old’ Mexico and the other being the new American world. The mean grandmother referred to as ‘awful’ restricts the young girl from entering the church, representing the girls’ interest in learning the Mexican cultures and practices. However, she is not permitted to enter the plaza that holds the new and modern ways symbolized by the balloons and comic books brought forth by the Americans. The children, the little girl inclusive, eventually break their awful grandmother’s ties and restrictions, thus, eventually declaring themselves as ‘Mericans’ as the story ends by stating that “yeah,” my brother says, “we’re Mericans.”. This shows how their identity as Americans has transitioned.

Furthermore, besides both literally works being influenced by the American identity, the two are contextually different. On the one hand, the poem ventures more into the family experience, while the short story ventures more into the family's origin. However, the underlying theme for both works is identifying the American identity. For instance, Okita, the 14-year-old Japanese-American, was just trying to fit in since she was identifying as an American but at the same time struggling as an American. Also, the identity struggle is seen by the developed the growing distance between Okita and her termed best friend, Denise.

Similarly, there is a rift between Micaela and her grandmother, who differ in views about their feelings towards the United States. For instance, the grandmother follows some strict views and religious ideals while the girl and her brother emulate characters from popular American television programs, which creates an identity conflict in the short story.

Therefore, both literary works utilize narratives that use little girls to transition into an American identity. In both literary works, identity conflict is a developing theme in both literary works despite being different in context and nature, short story and poem.

References