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Mexican Gothic Elements In High Place

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First off, the atmosphere and location of the book provide an uneasy feeling that is crucial to the militant aesthetic. The lonely house where the majority of the action takes place, High Place, is vividly described by Moreno-Garcia to evoke a feeling of dread and terror. The eerie mood that pervades the novel is heightened by the mansion's stifling atmosphere, moldy carpets, and rotting walls. In order to further emphasize the militant aesthetic, the author also incorporates horror clichés like ghosts and haunted homes. The author portrays the power relations in the novel by employing these strategies to evoke a feeling of danger. High Place's dismal atmosphere is a reflection of the time's repressive socioeconomic order in Mexico.
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The book is set in Mexico in the 1950s, when the nation was still dealing with the impacts of the Mexican Revolution and the legacy of colonialism. The author examines topics of power and oppression using the historical backdrop. The utilization of indigenous mythology also contributes to the militant aesthetic and, more crucially, the implications of a significant cultural difference, which we will explore next. One example is the representation of the Mexican god Popoca, the Aztec Romeo and Juliet. The significance of cultural identity and resistance against colonialism and persecution is shown by these symbols and …show more content…

Francis confesses in chapter 12 that he was taken to England as a young boy to get an education and was supposed to conform into the English way of life. However, he expresses a strong yearning for his Mexican ancestry and talks about feeling cut off from his roots. His persona serves as an example of how difficult it is to navigate between two cultures and how challenging it is to retain one's sense of self when one is torn between two realities.
Additionally, the language barrier emphasizes the power dynamics between colonizers and colonized. In the novel, the Doyle family's incapacity to speak Spanish, the native language, represents their disrespect for the culture and traditions of the local population. Their refusal to acquire the language reinforces the notion that they view the indigenous population as inferior and unworthy of respect or regard.
Noemi's struggle with Spanish can also be viewed as a form of resistance against the expectations of the dominant culture. Noemi's difficulty with the language demonstrates that, despite her family's expectations and pressure to conform to their ideals, she is unwilling to entirely assimilate into a culture that is not her own. This resistance is essential to the militant aesthetic because it emphasizes the significance of maintaining one's identity and individuality in the face of oppressive

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