LOCKWWOD: NATIONALITY AND IDENTITY IN FRAGMENTS.

Andressa Kelly Almeida dos Santos1

In contrast to literary criticism, cultural studies come to fill in the gaps left by
literary analysis. Thus, the analysis of the cultural environment in which a work was
produced, and the aspects that it absorbed are objects of cultural studies (HALL, 2006).
Therefore, this process requires a deconstruction of stereotypes and literary
requirements. Since, these studies value the cultural manifestations present in each work
(CEVASCO, 2003). With the establishment of postmodernity, research that does not fit
the characteristics of the multicultural subject will not be viable. Thus, the
interdisciplinary of the areas of knowledge is essential to broaden the objectives that the
studies propose to investigate, Bonnici (2005).
Literature is one field in which cultural studies establish investigations. In
addition to the viability of not only understanding culture but also making social
critiques, cultural studies incorporate aspects of literary studies for these purposes. As
such, studies on identity, nationality, and sexuality are objects of investigation for
cultural studies. In addition, access to the other's culture has influenced the construction
of the modern subject's identity, as it is a result of the advent of modernity and
globalization (HALL, 2006). Thus, there have been transformations that have oriented
cultural studies to research these actions.
Bryan Washington published the short story Lockwood in 2016. Thus, the plot
is set in Texas, specifically in a suburban neighbourhood. The story tells of the events of
a Mexican family in the United States. As the reception of an American family towards
them. The American son, who happens to have a relationship with Roberto, the son of
the Mexican family, narrates the story. Also, the financial and discriminatory difficulties
that the Mexican family suffers. Thus, this essay aims to analyse the short story
"Lockwood" which mainly deals with the concepts of nationality and identity.
The coexistence between Latinos and Americans is one of the themes
discussed in the short story, Lockwood. As such, the American father suggests the
superiority of nationalities: ''They were complete Mexicans. That made us superior'’
(WASHIGTON, 2019). Thus, we can analyse that this positioning refers to the
unification of the national culture, thus rejecting a foreign culture (HALL, 2006).
Accordingly, the American father is the result of the national consensus of living with

1
Acadêmica do 7º período de Letras Inglês da Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Parnaíba.
people who have a similar identity or nationality. In this case, someone who comes from
the United States.
Following this perspective, it is observed that although there is ethnic
discrimination, the fragmentation process is occurring between Americans and
Mexicans. Thus, the story shows the daily relations between the two families, "Roberto
was brown and his people lived next door to us, so of course, I went there on weekends"
(WASHINGTON, 2019). Thereby, showing that there is strangeness in accepting the
other's identity, yet there is no estrangement from each other. The contact with cultural,
linguistic, and sexual diversity makes possible not only the fragmentation of identity but
also the construction of identity (HALL, 2006).
The discussions in this paper reflect on the intercultural relationship in the
modern world. In addition, how the modern subject tends to deal with these changes. In
summary, the story Lockwood narrates the two faces of identity fragmentation and the
manifestation of nationality archetypes. Moreover, the harmful acts that occur in the
daily life of someone who enters into a state of vulnerability in another culture, thus
exposing himself to discrimination and marginalization.

CONTENT: 1,5
FORMAT: 2,0
LANGUAGE: 2,0
TOTAL: 5.5
 References

CEVASCO, Maria Elisa. Dez Lições sobre Estudos Culturais. São Paulo: Boitempo,
2003.

BONNICI, Thomas. Conceitos-chave da teoria pós-colonial .Maringá. PR: Eduem,

2005.

HALL, Stuart. A Identidade Cultural na Pós-modernidade. Rio de Janeiro: DP&A

Editora, 2006

WASHINGTON, Bryan Washington. Lot: Stories. New York: Riverhead Books, 2019.