Literary analysis: "One holy night."

"One holy night" narrative is about a grade 8 girl (Ixchel) who, selling vegetables and fruits on a pushcart, fell in love with her customer, who told her his name was Chaq Uxmal, a Mayan kings descendant but failed to disclose his age (Cisneros). On one Saturday night, Ixchel went to his house, where he displayed a variety of weapons before breaking her virginity. Later, Ixchel discovered that Chaq Uxmal had lied about everything, that he did not belong to the royal family, and that his name was Chato. She discovered that the man she had fallen in love with was a serial killer and was from a poor peasant family (Cisneros). The "one holy night" narrative illustrates the naivety of adolescent girls falling into manipulation and abuse by older men.

The narrative is set in a village with the most low-class residents. This is illustrated by the characteristics of the characters where; for instance, Ixchel is a student and still sells vegetables and fruits to add to the family income. Also, Chato tricks Ixchel and uses her pushcart as security for rent arrears illustrating poverty among the residents. Therefore, the "one holy night" narrative setting represents a village with low-income earners depending on small businesses for survival.

The narrator's character is immaturity, ignorant, desperate, and naive. Immaturity is portrayed when she finds it funny and likes to refer to him as a man, baby, or boy. Ixchel was also ignorant since when Chato told her about his association with the royal family, she was overjoyed and looked beyond his unkempt hair and dirty fingernails (Cisneros). Her ignorance is also portrayed at the story's beginning, when the boy states that he would love her " like a revolution, like a religion"(Cisneros). Ixchel fell in love with these similes, which meant their love could be sacred like religion and life-changing like a revolution. Also, even after been showing the guns and other fighting weapons, Ixchel discovers that her lover is a serial killer through a newspaper, realizing that she had been deceived all along. She was also desperate for wealth, illustrated when she imagines being the Queen of Mayan, and instead of being bothered by her lost virginity, she feels excited. She uses statements such as " come undone like gold thread, like a tent full of birds" when referring to her virginity as she imagines losing her virginity with a boy from the royal family (Cisneros). The term "gold thread" could illustrate how much she valued her virginity, and " birds" could indicate autonomy. Her naivety is portrayed when she focuses on the imagination of falling in love with a boy from the royal family and does not doubt him even after showing her the different weapons. Therefore, the story rotates around the narrator's experience portraying her ignorance, immaturity, and naivety.

However, the boy's personality is mysterious, strange, and enticing and hence manages to lure Ixchel into his trap. Chato takes advantage of the girl's naivety and vulnerability to trick her into falling in love with her illustrating his ability to entice young girls. After attaining his goal, he escapes, after which the girl finds the truth about him and tears her apart as she has traded her virginity which she had treasured, with lies (Cisneros). He is also mysterious and strange as he tells Ixchel he did not know his age. Hee also kept strange stuff in his house, including weapons. However, he uses his personality to confuse and seduce young girls to fall in love and later murder them.

Furthermore, the story could reflect adolescents' infatuation and vulnerability to sexual exploitation. This could also portray the living standards of Mexican immigrants. Due to her low living standards, the narrator falls in love due to the promises made to her by Chato. Chato tricks Ixchel, the narrator, by telling her to keep extra money after purchasing from her and lying to belong to the Mayan family (Cisneros). The narrative also illustrates the values and beliefs of the residents. When Ixchel got pregnant, her grandmother was ashamed of her situation and relocated her to Mexico, so the neighbors did not realize her situation (Cisneros). She also tries to find information about the boy who defiled her granddaughter, illustrating her frustration. Thus, the story shows the Mexican immigrants' social class and moral values.

The "one holy night" narrative illustrates the naivety of adolescent girls falling into manipulation and abuse by older men. The village described by the author portrays low-class residents surviving through small businesses. The narrator's personality is immaturity, naivety, and ignorance. Despite different foreshadowings and signs of her lover's character, she still falls in love. The narrator's lover, Chato, is mysterious, strange, and enticing. He uses his mysteriousness and tricks to entice young girls he eventually murders. However, the narrative could illustrate the Mexican immigrant's standards of living and moral values as Ixchel's grandmother felt ashamed after her granddaughter got impregnated at a tender age and relocated her to Mexico, so neighbors did not notice.

Works Cited

Cisneros, S. (2013). Woman hollering creek: and other stories. Vintage.