The Horror in Gloria Anzaldúa: Reclaiming the Monstrous

Abstract

I grew up hearing stories of la Llorona and el Cucuy, believing that la Mujer de Blanco was waiting outside of the bedroom window by the rosales to take me away. Today, like numerous scholars, artists and storytellers, I return to monsters of my youth. Inspired by Gloria Anzaldúa’s work, I ponder what tools we can use to understand and survive in geographies built on violence, death, and conquest. Specifically, in this essay I argue that embracing the figure of the monstrous and the horrific provide one avenue for survival by helping create new homes and new familial structures.