Latin Night At The Pawnshop

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Losing Culture in Martin Espada’s “Latin Night at the Pawnshop” Martin Espada brings thought evoking insight to the embedded reality of relinquishing pride associated to culture and heritage in his lyric poem, “Latin Night at the Pawnshop.” He relates a view of the human condition involving the pride of heritage and the deflation of its significance in American culture. The setting in Espada’s poem is in a typical American town during Christmas prompting the audience to envision a time of year when hope, faith and nostalgic remembrance are high. By presenting a realistic scenario in which a tradition of culture is sacrificed during a hopeful time of year, it gives the reader the impression the speaker carries a difficult burden of woe. The oppressive mood ignites the indignant attitude of the speaker to reveal his feelings about pride and dignity. Martin Espada utilizes connotative meaning in his word choice to signify the speaker’s indignant tone. In the first stanza, “The apparition of a salsa band” (line 1), is presented to the reader to portray a reminiscent time of a beloved and festive custom or tradition untypical of American culture. “The apparition” is associated to something that exists in the past which directs the audience to presume it is no longer a foreseeable prospect. The vision of the band appears in the window of “the Liberty Loan/pawnshop” (2-3), which signifies cultural barriers and associated difficulties. In addition, there is also an implicit connection to “Liberty Loan” as a related connotation to the idea that true freedom is only borrowed. As the poem progresses into the second stanza, Espada supplies an image of cherished possessions, a “Golden trumpet,” (4), along with a compliment of instruments to provide a vital meaning that indicates cultural heritage and, perhaps, even a legacy of life. The “Golden trumpet” is
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