Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry

Using the tortilla as a symbol of Chicano identity, Anaya draws heavily on imagery of food and nourishment. How does the essay connect language, food, and identity? Why does Anaya align those three ideas?

Are all forms of censorship the same in their ultimate impact on society? Discuss the different levels of censorship that Anaya addresses in his essay and use specific textual examples to support your position.

Anaya characterizes publishing houses as literary cultural gatekeepers. How is this gatekeeping problematic according to Anaya? Does Anaya’s perspective allow for the possibility that gatekeeping could ever be beneficial?

Anaya argues that “all literature, especially poetry and fiction, challenges the status quo” (70). Do you agree with this assertion? Why or why not?

Anaya argues that literature is inherently political, but to what extent does he frame it as an ethical affair? Does the essay imply a highest moral “good,” or is it more about pursuing freedom for freedom’s sake?

What are some benefits of embracing a multicultural society, especially in regard to literature? In addition to citing at least two benefits as Anaya describes them, your answer should include your own original assertions. You might consider multiculturalism’s potential benefits to scholastics, the media, or the economy.

Examine Anaya’s writing style. Is it effective for his arguments? Using examples from the text, discuss Anaya’s successes and shortcomings in persuading the audience.

Anaya’s concluding sentence is that “[c]ensorship imposes itself in [his] path of knowledge, and that activity can be justified by no one” (73). Is literary censorship ever justifiable? Use concrete examples to support your answer, and compare/contrast your position with Anaya’s.