Ethnic Literature and Film an America

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the importance of ethnic literature and film in the United States. The paper compares three works, M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense," Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony" and Esmeralda Santiago's "America's Dream." It shows how these three works all powerfully reflect variations on the theme of the characters being haunted by their cultural past.

From the Paper:

"While ethnic fiction has been a part of the American literary tradition since the United States' colonial days, contemporary ethnic fiction has established a unique and relevant position in the cannon of American literature. Although ethnic literature is praised and enjoyed because of its uniqueness and originality, similar themes exist among ethnic novels and films. By studying these themes, students of literature and film can not only learn about a culture, but they can also find a more important overarching theme--the themes that tie all people together. While the United States' melting pot culture has encouraged all from African-Americans to Hispanics to Asians to contribute to the cannon of literature, ethnic authors are beginning to realize the importance their work has on the library and the classroom across the nation. As students find common threads in ethnic literature and films like the three discussed above, they will begin to compare and contrast the literature and film with other major literature and film publications, thus promoting an ultimate blending of cultures. While much has been done to promote ethnic literature and film in the contemporary era, it is only by the writers and filmmakers' own experience and creativity, like that expressed by Shyamalan, Silko, and Santiago, that a true understanding of ethnic life, ethnic literature, and ethnic themes can be attained."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Sixth Sense. Dir. M.Night Shyamalan. Perf. Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment. 1999. Vidocassette, 2000.
• Santiago, Esmeralda. America's Dream. New York, Harper: 1997.
• Saez, Barbara J. "Varieties of the Ethnic Experience: A Review" The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States. 27.4 (2002): 204-207.
• Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. New York: Penguin, 1986.
• Winsbro, Bonnie. Forces: Belief, Deliverance, and Power in Contemporary Works by Ethnic Women. Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press, 1993.

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