Abstract:
In her second novel, Sapogonia, Ana Castillo challenges and
confronts the canon by dismantling and defying the dominant
ideologies of Westem androcentric literature. Using Castillo's first
novel, The Mixguiahuala Letters, as the framework within which to
read Sapogonia, we discover that Castillo's experimentation with
different genres, narrative voice, and intertextuality allows her to
mock and to subvert male-authored texts. Castillo's literary
strategies also facilitate her critique of the mestizo who denies his
indigenous American ancestry. Finally, Sapogonia is a critique of the
discourses and ideologies of patriarchal authority that have been
used to oppress women. Despite the fact that Castillo's literary
strategies and sexual politics establish her novel as feminist literature, Castillo refuses to romanticize the position of women in
Sapogonia. Committed to telling the truth, Castllo presents a
disturbingly realistic vision of society.