First and foremost, it is fundamental to justify the election of this certain research question, which is “To what extent is biculturality portrayed in the novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz?” In order to do so, let us analyze and explain its key points.
Biculturalism is a global phenomenon that influences the reality and identities of a significant amount of people across the world. However, like any other social-construct-based condition, the great power it holds over people’s identities is capable of tremendously affecting bicultural lives in a negative way full of stigmas and crises. Based on the definition, biculturalism may be considered as a concealable stigmatized identity, which is a term used to refer to “Identities that can be hidden from others and that are socially devalued and negatively stereotyped” (Quinn & Earnshaw, 2013).
Additionally, when put into perspective, biculturality and its aspects have a quite different influence over teenagers than over the rest of the population. With a determination of Equality and also keeping Human rights as a priority, this essay addresses biculturalism as a key topic people should be more aware of, a perfect example for the IB English B theme Social Organizations.
The coming-of-age novel ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ by Benjamin Alire Sáenz provides a perfect example for the main purposes of this investigation: Analyzing the author’s choices regarding the portray of biculturalism and its aspects in his novel, as someone who experienced the phenomenon themselves, as well as to develop a rich comprehension about the topic; to recognize the way it works, the reasons behind its importance and role in the global society.
The essay’s title also provides essential elements: The figurative question “Why do boys not cry?” alludes to the novel’s storyline, since it is set in the year 1987, an era that is meaningful and noteworthy when it comes to heteronormativity, a non-explicitly-mentioned analysis focus that the Theoretical Framework will explain in deeper ways.
The title also introduces the social goal in this essay, which is destigmatizing traits of a bicultural identity with the aim of spreading awareness about this phenomenon and to reduce unfavorable stereotypes around it.
