"Los Vendidos"

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Luis Valdez's classic play, "Los Vendidos" (The Sellouts), which parodies the US government and it's policy of assimilation that tends to hurt racial identities. The paper notes that in the play we come across some Mexican-American stereotypes, which largely represent the community in it's many different colors. The paper further notes that the author has created many identities, with most being true to their cultural heritage. Miss Jiminez, however, is an exception because to be an American and refuses her Mexican identity. The paper follows the play with Jiminez searching for her ideal, which results in a shocking ending. The paper concludes that Valdez has attempted to highlight the problems of the American-Mexican community but does not offer a clear solution to the problem.

From the Paper:

"Honest Sancho's shop is a place where you find different types of Mexicans: a farm-worker, a revolutionary, a peon, an urban model etc. Miss JIM-enez however doesn't like any of those because she has her own reasons. She rejects the peon because he looks lazy to her, she refuses to accept the farm worker because he looks so defeated, she rejects the revolutionary because he is too savage and also cannot accept the urban models because they break the law. These are some fixed views she has of the Mexican Americans and hence the author tells us how the American public views Mexican community. They are encapsulated in some fixed roles and personalities. Jim-enez also doesn't want to pay 15000 for one Mexican and feels that is a little too high a price for buying a Mexican".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Luis Valdez , Early Works ( Houston: Arte Publico, 1990), 40-53.

More papers on "Los Vendidos":

• Analytical Essay # 7904 : "Luis Valdez's "Los Vendidos"
• Analytical Essay # 123116 : "Drama and Irony"
• Analytical Essay # 1782 : "Dramatic Oppression"

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