Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez - Research Paper Example

?"Los Vendidos" by Luis Valdez Los Vendidos has often been regarded as one among the popular plays that unveils Mexican life in American society. Thepathetic state of the Mexican-Americans under the Native Americans has been satirically presented in the play where one gets the picture of American attitude to the Chicanos. Valdez, one of the founders of Chicano theatre, has always satirically criticised the economic exploitation, social injustice, racism and segregation Mexican Americans have been suffering in the U.S. (Vogelmann p.7). The play Los Vendidos invites the attention of mass readers as the one that proposes a better living condition and an equal status for the Mexican Americans with the Native Americans. Though the mood of the play is light hearted or comic, it discusses grave issues that crave great social attention. The play brings to our notice the issues like social injustice, racism and the class segregation where the Americans always expected the Mexicans to rise up to their expectation. This attitude of the Americans is quite evident in the words of the secretary in the play where she demands the kind of robot that walks and behaves in the American fashion. A critical estimate of the play makes one join with the Canadian writer, Ryan McFadden when he rightly observed thus, “Los Vendidos is a play centred on drawing great attention to the misconstrued stereotypes of Chicanos while covertly ridiculing Americans which in turn successfully brings about conversation and critical thinking of these stereotypes and inspires viewers the opportunity to change their preconceived notions of Chicanos” (McFadden para.1). Therefore, the proposed critical study aims to establish aforesaid statement, that is, the play is a criticism, presented in a satirical way, against the existing social injustice touching the Mexican Americans from the Native Americans. The setting of this one-act play is located at Honest Sancho's Used Mexican Lot and Mexican Curio Shop, a shop located in California that sells various kinds of ‘robots’, stereotypes of Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Though the shop and the characters are fictional, the dramatist has won in his attempt to present the ‘robots’ as real life sketches who respond to the snapping of fingers. The very presentation of the salesman-cum owner, Honest Sancho and the customer, Miss Jimenez, who introduces herself as secretary for Governor Reagan, itself provides enough materials for the audience about the Mexican and Mexican American clash. Jimenez’s reprimand to Sancho’s mispronunciation of her name in ‘bad English’, when he actually used Spanish accent, provides ample evidence for this disagreement. The attitude of the Mexican American to the Mexican is crystal clear at her ignorance to the cultural stereotypes exhibited in that showroom, though belongs to the Chicana or the Mexican American and was actually looking for a ‘Mexican’ type. The satirical note in the play is very notable that the dramatist does not spare even a single chance to criticise dominating mentality of the Americans. Elements of the comedy of manners in Los Vendidos can be especially identified when considering Valdez’s satirizing of his Chicano stock characters (Stereotyped, flat characters or caricatures) that fail to conform the conventions of the U.S. society (Vogelmann p.7). The reluctance of the Mexican Americans to mingle with the Mexicans has been shaded in the words of the Secretary when she disagrees with the prospect buying the first two robots. She rejects the first robot which is in the form of the farm worker, just because of the reason that he does not know English, which has an elite part of American culture which the Mexicans lacked. In order to proposes these issues, the dramatist resorts to realistic comedy which really enhances the quality of the presentation, especially the conversation between Sancho and the secretary. According to Vogelmann, “The most important elements of realistic comedy in Luis Valdez’s acto Los Vendidos are, however, its satiric ones. Whereas pure comedy primarily seeks to entertain and amuse, satiric comedy has a moral or critical purpose, attacks philosophical or political notions through ridicule and provoke responses or reforms” (Vogemann p.7). Here, through the satiric comedy, the dramatist makes a severe attack on the established authority that permits the so called segregation prevailing in America. As previously noted, Valdez, the Chicano writer, has always raised his voice against the social anarchies, colour discrimination and the bitterness of segregation that the Mexican Americans have been suffering in the U.S. Therefore, the play Los Vendidos can aptly be called as an acto with political satire. There are many instances in the play that send shots to the government which practically did not take sufficient actions to curtail such injustices. The protest against the existing government is clear when one observes the dialogues between the secretary and Sancho. To the secretary’s question whether he (the robot) is economical, Sancho replies, “Economical? Senorita, you are looking at the Volkswagen of Mexicans. Pennies a day is all it takes. One plate of beans and tortillas will keep him going all day” (Kanellos p.224). If one attempts a close reading of this reply, one can understand that it the speaker was actually aiming at the government for ill-treating the Mexicans by providing them low wages and insufficient food items. It is also possible for one to take it as even as a protest against the government. In a comparative study of Valdez’s two works, Harry Justin Elam writes, “...in both Los Vendidos and The Prayer Meeting traditional symbols of authority and power are treated irreverently and subverted.” He also adds that “Not only do these plays challenge figures of authority, but, through the deception of the Mexican models and the Burglar’s theft, the plays also undermine the social order itself, by challenging society’s fundamental values of right and wrong” (Elam p.70). Valdez has effectively used this medium to challenge the fundamental values of right and wrong regarding the treatment of the Mexicans by the Americans. Through his plays, especially in Los Vendidos, Valdez is trying to reject authority and reaffirm the cultural validity of marginalised peoples. Through the play, by transforming the Used Mexican models to Chicano activist, Valdez is warning the government that in the right times these suppressed people will resurrect and fight for their fundamental rights. ‘As soon as Miss Jimenez purchases Eric Garcia, the Mexican-American acculturated model, he transforms from Mexican-American reactionary into Chicano revolutionist’ (Elam p.67). So, one can say that the play executes its social commitment by reminding the audience or readers the real life in America during that time. After watching the play, one can certainly agree with Ryan McFadden when he commented thus; “Valdez’s success is based on getting Americans to understand the ridiculousness of their views on the Mexican people...It is a way for Americans to think for themselves about the misconstrued views and stereotypes they have about Mexican-Americans” (McFadden para.3). Through the play, the playwright has been trying to protect the Chicanos who are confronted with so many internal and external issues. Valdez also reminds the Americans that the American ideal Mexican does not exist. The existing individuality of the Chicanos cannot be easily changed as they are their basic instincts, and as such they cannot be what the Americans expected them to be. Therefore, he suggests the Americans to get away from the preconceived notions of Chicanos. To conclude, one can infer that the play is actually a criticism against the preconceived notions of the Americans that the Chicanos are culturally and socially a backward class who cannot rise up to the level they expect. The three ‘robots’, represent the stereotypes in Chicano society portrayed in a satirical tone. The play is the combination of Chicano music, dance, and language, which together make it one of the best Chicano plays ever to depict the Chicano struggle for survival in the rural society (Bandes & Maria p.125). Thus, one can say that it is a play that deals with the misconstrued stereotypes of Chicanos who became the topic of grave discussions and critical thinking which in time inspired the viewers and helped them to change their preconceived notions of Chicanos. Works cited Bandes-Becerra Maria-Tania. Becoming American: A Discovery of the Process of Immigrant Acclimatization as Seen in Hispanic/Latino Scripts.Wayne State University. Theatre. ProQuest, 2008. Print. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=-QTo4-rQDlIC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Elam, Harry Justin. Taking It to the Streets: The Social Protest Theater of Luis Valdez and Amiri Baraka.illustrated. University of Michigan Press, 2001. Print. http://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NEInieDvCSwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22Los+Vendidos%22+by+Luis+Valdez+critical+study&ots=tAVE71tL7G&sig=xvzEN5IPNRsfuoJAer4bY8ZFC5M#v=onepage&q=%22Los%20Vendidos%22%20by%20Luis%20Valdez%20critical%20study&f=false Kanellos Nicolas, Dworkin y Mendez Kenya C., Balestra Alejandra. Herencia. Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=S_QudWQHaZ4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Vogelmann, Jorg. Elements of Comedy in Luis Valdez's Acto Los Vendidos as Techniques for Communication and Mobilisation. GRIN Verlag, 2008. Print. http://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=50rDuiNIOnYC&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=Vogelmann,+J%C3%B6rg.+Elements+of+Comedy+in+Luis+Valdez%27s+Acto+Los+Vendidos+as+Techniques+for+Communication+and+Mobilisation&ots=NXVRWjesX1&sig=R-PikboxNWYlE0K344BMTSG7uO0 McFadden, Ryan. Los Vendidos Review. Scribd.inc. 2013. Web. 24 July 2013. http://www.scribd.com/doc/24567749/Los-Vendidos-Review Read More