Debra Blake's Chicana Sexuality and Gender - Quote

In chapter one, Blake, elucidates the concept of refiguring by underlining the unique discourse of four mexican cultural symbols. Blake gives evidence of this concept with “ Rather, the artists, authors, and oral historians alter images and narrative representations to coincide with their perspective of themselves and how they exist within the culture.” (Blake, 24). This quote foreshadows the attempt of women to rewrite history to reflect contemporary concerns that contribute to reinventions of Chicana identity, culture, race and sexuality. Highlighting key features of the perspectives of Chicanas, Blake, emphasizes the deconstruction of cultural norms and current understandings and representation of women by focusing on female creativity, intellect, and indigenous identity. Blake employs detailed symbolism as an endeavor to explore the identities Chicanas embrace and delve into as they create their own version of Mexican female cultural symbols Chicanas articulate and depict such manifestation in paintings, murals, writings and different art forms. Images of the four female cultural symbols, La Malinche, La Llorona, Mexica goddesses and La Virgen de Guadalupe are refigured to portray the unique perspective and concerns of Chicana feminism.  Such accounts culturally refigure confining and demeaning constructions by replacing destructive symbols, ideas, and images toward women. For instance, by changing the countenance and connotation of female cultural symbols, women’s lived experiences are transferred into a visual and emotional simulation to the eye that allows to disclose Mexican history and memory.