Literature as Activism - From Entertainment to Challenging Social Norms: Michael Nava’s Goldenboy (1988)

Angelos Bollas

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.9n.1p.50

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine how Michael Nava appropriates the conventions of Detective/Crime Fiction to engage in artivism, whereby art is used to challenge sexual and ethnic social oppression and inequality. By providing an analysis of the heteronormative conventions of the Detective and Crime Fiction genre, the article focuses on the ways in which narratives portray homophobic violence, as well as on the fact that such portrayals result from and contribute to the promotion of heteronormative hegemonies. Following this, I focus on Michael Nava’s Goldenboy (1988) and I analyse Nava’s writing in relation to the wider Chicano tradition of using art to engage in activism, what has been termed as ‘artivism.’ The central argument of this paper is that Nava ‘queers’ the form of the Detective Fiction genre to highlight the shortcomings of our society, the effects of the hegemonial heteronormativity, and the need for social change.

Highlights

In a society like ours where social inequalities and o ppression are heightened rather than eliminated, it is more important than ever to explore as many possible ways of offering social commentary and providing opportunities for discussion and change as possible
The aim of this article is to examine how Michael Nava appropriates the conventions of Detective/ Crime Fiction to engage in artivism, whereby art is used to challenge sexual and ethnic social oppression and inequality
By providing an analysis of the heteronormative conventions of the Detective and Crime Fiction genre, the article focuses on the ways in which narratives portray homophobic violence, as well as on the fact that such portrayals result from and contribute to the promotion of heteronormative hegemonies

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In a society like ours where social inequalities and o ppression are heightened rather than eliminated, it is more important than ever to explore as many possible ways of offering social commentary and providing opportunities for discussion and change as possible. Artists such as Michael Nava use their work for their audience’s entertainment and in order to engage in the ever-growing discussion about social injustice and inequality. Queering is a result of the queer theory developed in the 80s and the 90s (Cohen et al, 2013) It is, important to situate this essay within the works of Sedwick (2013), Warner (1993), and Butler (2007). I start this essay by surveying violence in detective fiction This is followed by a focus on homophobic violence in particular. With these two sections, I examine how engraved heteronormative ideas are to the genre of detective fiction. The artist, uses his art and becomes an activist against sexual and ethnic oppression and inequalities

LITERATURE REVIEW

CONCLUSION