peer draft

• intro
• introduce poem and author
• theme: tragedy
• define canon: between Mexican and american canons
• Mexican literature: ballad/corrido
• body paragraph 1
• should be in canon because this style of poetry is important to the hispanic culture 
• tells stories of heroes
• can be sung, music genre: corridor
• el corrido de Gregorio cortez is one of the most famous corridos in this era
• Who is gregorio cortez?
• hero 
• horse thief
• body paragraph 2
• this poem speaks up for the people of this country, in this case Mexico
• how does Gregorio cortez portray this?
• pride: "Don't run you cowardly rangers from one lone mexican"
• fearless: "Turned towards Laredo without any fear"
• Laredo is a city at the mexican-american border 
• Speaks up for immigrants
• body paragraph 3
• cultural references/connections
• cities and counties
• mare and pistol 
• pesos

Gigi Paniagua

March 14, 2018

Dan Curtis-Cummins

The Tragedy of Gregorio Cortez

In the poem, El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez, by an anonymous writer, the author expresses the tragedy of a heroic farmer through a ballad. A ballad is a form of poetry that tells a story. Based on Gulgenberg’s article, “Decolonizing the Canon: Considerations of Third World Literature,” the canon is defined as the general rule of literature that a territory had. In this case, the poem I chose is from Mexican descent and portrays the importance of Mexican literature to its people.

The poem, El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez, should be elevated in status of canon literature because this style of poetry is important to the hispanic culture. It is most likely not going to be in the literary canon due to race culture. This poem lies between a Mexican and American literary canon. It can also be sung as a corrido, which is genre of music from Mexico. Uniquely, this poem tells a story of a hero, or a horse thief, that represents Mexican literature. This ballad is one of the most famous corridos in this era as it talks about a true story of the tragedy of Gregorio Cortez. Cortez is known as a hero to his people and is also known as a thief to the Americans. He would flee away county to county being chased by sheriffs and everyone in town for “a reward of 3000 pesos.” This ballad ends with his tragedy of being caught but continues to be fearless.

For the purpose of Gregorio Cortez, he speaks up for the people of his country and immigrants in Latin America. In this case, Cortez speaks up for his people in Mexico. The story of this hero relates to migrating hispanics going to the United States to run away from their problems and start a new life. They travel hundreds of miles to get to where they want to be but the Mexican-American border usually stops them from entering. Cortez shows his pride and fearlessness to the Americans by calling them out by saying, “Don’t run you cowardly rangers from one lone Mexican.” He knows his worth and believes in himself that he will get justice for his dead brother. The ballad continues to share the different counties he ran off to, specifically Laredo, to symbolize his fearlessness. Laredo is a small town right at the border between Mexico and United States. Nevertheless, this poem depicts the importance of Mexican literature in the lives of Mexican people as it shares a piece of history.

The mare and pistol had a great significance in cultural connections. The mare was the main reason to why Cortez was being chased in the first place.

Idea draft essay 2

1. How is it relevant to your life?
1. border patrol chaqsing immigrants 
1. immigrants are known as "criminals"
2. Elevated in status of 'canon' on literature?
1. Yes!
1. Mexican literature: ballads, corridos
2. the author uses a certain type of poetry known as ballads, which tells a story, to emphasize the tragedy of Gregorio Cortez
2. Most likely not going to be in literary canon due to race culture
1. Prediction: Author is Mexican 
3. Just telling a story 
1. one of the most famous corridor in this era
3. 'New Canon': Mexican-American literary canon
1. right at the border of Mexico and America
4. Good Literature
1. library devices to let readers think and analyze it, understandable
1. "Don't run you cowardly rangers from one lone Mexican"
2. "Turned towards Laredo (city right at the border) without any fear"
5. Research on Gregorio Cortez 
1. gregorio cortez
6. Cultural connections
1. cities Cortes ran to, over 300 miles in 3 days
2. mare and pistol 

blog #7

My poem is a mexican ballad. A ballad is a type of poem that tells a story, often a love story. The poem I chose is called "El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez". The main theme for this poem is tragedy. I don't think it should be added to the canon because I find the two passages distinctively different between each other. The Mexican culture in the poem I chose is a corrido that tells a real life story of the main character, Gregorio Cortez.

essay 1 reflection

1. I think this book was really interesting and I enjoyed reading it. Once I started reading a page it was kinda hard to stop reading because you want to know more. I think the narration was a bit confusing at times because you didn't know who was talking at first but then realize it later. I think the most challenging thing about reading the book over the 6 weeks was catching up on the reading because I had to read so many pages all at once and if I didn't finish it kept adding on to the pages I needed to read. It's not that I didn't want to read but work got in the way. I think the most rewarding thing about it is that I finally understand each character and the different events that went on throughout the book.

2. I think this book is an example of good literature because it shows the narrator as not just a "regular boring person" reading the story, the narrator uses speech just like how teenagers our age speak. I thought that was very unique and related to the readers.

3. I feel like I did an ok job on my essay 1. I didn't understand it at first and once I figured out my theme and found cultural references to connect with my theme, I put the pieces together. I guess the most challenging part of the essay is figuring out why a superhero Oscar mentioned in the book was so important, or why that superhero related to the other characters. What was rewarding about it is that I talked about the power of feminine sexuality and I REALLY enjoyed writing about that.

essay 1 superwomen

super women essay 1

essay 1 peer draft

essay 1

idea draft essay 1

Write 2-3 paragraphs about which 'cultural reference' you want to research more about for Essay 1.  Without doing any major research yet, what do you know about your topic?  What experience do you have with this 'context?'  If you don't know anything yet, what do you want to know?

Cultural Reference: Marvel 
The cultural reference I want to do more research about it about Marvel because I watch a lot of Marvel movies and always love them. I have been watching the movies they make for as long as I can remember. Although I do watch all of the Marvel movies that come out in theaters, I never really read any of the comic books. I know that they started with comic books and most of them are based off of superheroes. These superheroes contain powers and usually end up saving their world. There are always villains and a reason why the superheroes are fighting.