Abstract:Based on Jimmy Santiago Baca’s semi-autobiographic narrative poem Martin in Martin & Meditations on the South Valley, this paper will examine the poem and explore Martin’s bittersweet life journey in three different angels. A thorough analysis of the long narrative poem will first of all be made, targeting at the observation of how Baca interprets his story in the intensity of its language to connect with the reader by employing a creatively rare combination of genres and effective techniques. A special emphasis on the causes of Martin’s bittersweet life journey will then be placed to explain his transformation from bitterness to sweetness in searching for the meaning of his life. At last, the significance of Martin’s life journey will be revealed to illustrate and then sublime the essence of Chicano culture and the important themes of the contemporary Chicano literature.
Key Words: Martin; Mestizo; Chicano; bittersweetness
摘 要:本文根据吉米•圣地亚哥•巴卡（Jimmy Santiago Baca）以自身惨痛经历为原型所创作的长篇叙事诗《马丁及南谷沉思集》（Martin and Meditations on the South Valley，1987）中的《马丁》，深入探究了主人公马丁这位墨西哥裔混血儿在美国苦甜参半的心路历程。论文首先对全诗进行赏析，去发现作者是如何巧妙地运用技巧把他感人的故事通过文字形式展现给读者的，其次，文章将着重剖析马丁在寻找其生命的意义的过程中，他的生活由苦涩变为甘甜的艰辛路程的原因，最后揭示了马丁生活历程的意义所在，并由此得出对奇卡诺文化的重要主题和当代奇卡诺文学的新的领悟与诠释。
关键词：马丁；墨西哥裔混血儿; 奇卡诺人；苦甜参半
