Under The Feet Of Jesus Viramontes Analysis

The Dark Consequences of Ripe Peaches In Under the Feet of Jesus Viramontes plays with the heartstrings of those who read the story. It explores deeply the subjective and symbolic violence of the exploitation and destruction of migrant workers. The beautiful prose fantasizes the horrid conditions and everyday struggles that plague the family. With one misstep they are crushed beneath the societal system that is meant to even out the playing field. They are set up to fail. The focus is not truly on Alejo’s tragedy, but the symbolic destruction and disposal of a “tool” for the farm owners. Easily replaceable Alejo is nothing more than a broken basket. As Estrella puts it aptly “it was their bones that kept the air conditioning in the cars humming,
that kept them moving on the dotted line on the map. Their bones.” (148), Viramontes ties in with Zizek aptly. His definitions of symbolic, and systemic violence are ever present, and it is shown that they do breed subjective violence as he suggests. As the indignity of her life is all leveraged against her Estrella finally snaps searching for her seemingly only out, more violence. Violence is a basic part of the social system. The struggle to survive and thrive is exemplified by most marginalized groups. There is never a real worry for the upper echelons of society, while daily life for many people can be strenuous and dangerous beyond the comprehension of the more wealthy. Under the Feet of Jesus while being stylistically beautiful also paints a portrait of systemic and symbolic violence prevalent in the everyday life of a marginalized group of migrant workers. Symbolic violence is the violence of language and the disparity between two people. Systemic violence caters more to continuing the social and economic systems. These two forms of violence, while separate intertwine regularly both in normal life and Under the Feet of Jesus. Viramonte’s also heavily alludes to white Americans perpetrating the majority of the violence. Take Maxine Devridge one of the few obvious villains for example. Estrella even says that “she felt as if she could kill the white girl” (35).The systemic and symbolic violence of white society is what Estrella believes to be the root of her problems. Her monologue about the tar pits at the end says as much, “the nurse owed them as much as they owed her”(148). She sees the unfairness, and inequality, she reacts that only way possible. Zizek says that the systemic and symbolic violence breed the subjective violence. Viramontes’ obviously agrees and displays this directly through Estrella. Systemic violence is used to control and contain the lower classes, effectively instating a general contempt for certain groups.
This type of violence is not easily noticeable, it reflects the generally imperceptible ebb and flow of the economic and political system. While it is not generally picked up, when dissected more thoroughly it can be quite obvious. In the store scene the general depiction of the figures holy to the migrant workers points to some inequities. “ A lopsided poster of the holy Virgen, Our Lady of Guadalupe was tacked between the posters of Elvis Presley and Marylin Monroe” (110), a subtle jab at the prevalence and reverence given to the white elite. This reality defines Zizek’s perception of systemic violence. The harsh conditions that the migrant workers face on a daily basis displays a more tangible form of systemic violence. “The white light of the sun worked hard” (49) oppression is defined by the white, endowed by the white, and sustained by it. In Viramonte’s novel the oppressive conditions of work are enough to make anyone cringe. Yet, for the meager pay and hope to survive Estrella and the rest of the farmers must work. While they may be haggard and sore, the only thing worse than continuing working is to have no money. The poor are the lowest of the low and Zizek’s systemic violence points to this. It is the “often catastrophic consequences of the smooth functioning of our economic and political systems” (2). The economic system works because
the ultra poor must work to survive, and maybe hope for a better life. Zizek says symbolic violence is the system of oppression created through language. While this blanket statement seems absurd, consider the fact that most Americans, a society built upon immigration, only speak english. Furthermore, even dialects can be imbued with certain malignant attributes. The migrant workers face the harshest of this symbolic violence, many only speak Spanish, those who speak English are not necessarily the most proficient at it. While this should not matter there is an attributed value to those who speak Spanish. “Can you stand on the scale fro me, can you ask him if he could stand on the scale for me?” (139) the nurse says, her words while seemingly benevolent detract from Alejo’s worth. By inferring from nothing more than a language that he is incapable of understanding her, or having an intelligent dialogue with her. The nurse draws upon a deep-seated symbolic violence. As Zizek says this is “social domination reproduced in our habitual speech forms” (2). Zizek hits the nail on the head with his critical analysis. There is an obvious favoritism for certain languages and accents. Virramontes attempts to tap directly into this injustice. Her portrayal throws into light the unfair standards set up to limit the abilities of certain groups and openly favoring others. Under the Feet of Jesus takes on the task of analyzing and dissecting symbolic and systemic violence.
Viramontes directly attacks the systemic and symbolic violence focused on hispanic immigrants. Her story draws deeply upon subtle imagery and hints at racist undertones in even the smallest things. While very little subjective violence actually occurs, the everyday encounters and daily life are imbued with the hate and violence Zizek warns of. Viramontes plays aptly upon the inherent violence imbued in the language system, showing the automatic stereotyping that takes place between speakers. She toys with systemic and symbolic violence and how they act together to inflame hatred and violence. In effect Viramontes study and draws out the undercurrents of violence rife in the United States by focusing on the lowest class of people. Drawing from personal experience she is able to recreate the awful experiences and exploitations common place in these communities. All in an attempt to broaden the definition and expression of these two forms of violence, the “violence that sustains our very efforts to fight violence”
(1).