Radella Wulandari (1605085031)

GENDER ANALYSIS ON “SONRISAS” POEM BY PAT MORA

Gender analysis recognise that women’s life experiences, needs, issues and priorities are different for
different ethnic groups. Thus, in this paper, the writer tries to analyze the women’s life experience through two
different culture, America and Mexico, in “Sonrisas” poem by Pat Mora. She is a Mexican American poet, so
that she tries to write a poem which distuingish her life experience as a woman in different two cultures. In the
first stanza, she describes about women’s life experience in America, while in the second one, she describes
about women’s life experience in Mexico. Thus, there are two characters within this poem, American and
Mexican women.
“Quiet clicks, cups of black / coffee, click, click, like facts.” Here, she describes the women in America as a
quiet woman. It is represented by the words “quiet clicks” which sounds almost inaudible. Women in America
seems to be quiet since in America, they are typically individualistic. They only mind their business and do not
really pay attention to others’. It is contradictive with woman’s nature which is friendly, nice, and sociable. This
kind of personality usually belongs to men that is cold-hearted.
“budgets, tenure, curriculum. / from careful women in crisp beige / suits, quick beige smiles / that seldom sneak
into their eyes.
“budgets, tenure, and curriculum” are three things which usually being a focus of men, but here, those things
are also connnected with women by the words “from careful women”. Budget here represents the money.
Women in America have a chance to earn money and get a“Tenure”. They also wear “crisp beige suits”, which
represents a business or work clothes. Here, we can argue that women in America are mostly business women.
They get a gender equality in America since they can work as men without any stereotype that they only stay
home and do chores. It can also be connected with the words “cups of black coffee”. It talks about what the
women usually drink. Hence, in America, they probably really care about their health since they have a lot of
schedules at their work, so that they drink black coffee which is loaded with antioxidant and nutrients. Moreover,
the word “curriculum” represents an education. It shows that women in America have a concern on education
and it makes them well-educated. It also means that in America, women have the same right to get a high
education as men. However, since America women tend to deal with formal things, the words “quick beige
smiles that seldom sneak into their eyes” describe that they are humourless, thoughtful and very serious person.

“In other room senoras”. Here, Pat Mora begins to tell her life as a woman in Mexico by the word “Senoras”
which means madam or Mrs in Mexico.
“In faded dresses stir sweet / Milk coffee, laughter whirls / With steam from fresh tamales”.
Here, “faded dressess” represents a gentle and feminine women in Mexico. The words “stir sweet milk coffee”
and “fresh tamales” here uncover that the women in Mexico do not really care about their health since the sweet
milk coffee means something very sweet and can cause a diabetes, and tamales (seasoned meat) contains high
cholesterol. It is probably because they only stay at home and do not have many responsibilities as women in
America. It also represents that they often deal with something in kitchen such as make a drink and cook a meal
which suitable with women’s nature. Here,the activities of women in Mexico are basic and traditional since they
do not involve in a business world. Moreover, for the word “laughter whrils” tell that they are friendly and
cheerful which represents how the women actually should be.

“sh, sh, mucho ruido / they scold one another / press their lips, trap smiles, / in their dark, mexican eyes.
The words “sh, sh, mucho ruido” describe the full of noise. It means that women in Mexico like to communicate
and discuss everything. They even scold each other. However, the words “press their lips, trap smiles” can be
a clue that they scold only for jokes. Unlike the American women who are humourless, they do that to strengthen
the relation and makes the situation becomes enjoyable. It represents the woman’s nature whose personality is
companionable and care of society.