A Critical Stylistic Examination of Illegal Migration in American Dirt: A Linguistic Perspective

Abstract

    This study examines American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins as a postmodern novel in relation to critical stylistics, focusing on the language of migration. It applies five Critical Stylistic tools: Actions/Events/States, Equating and Contrasting, Implying and Assuming, Negating, and Presenting the Speech and Thoughts of Others to uncover the ideologies underlying the narrative and explore how the novel constructs the image of the immigrant.

The aims of this study are, first, to analyze how language choices in American Dirt shape the portrayal of illegal migration, and second, to uncover the ideological implications within the novel’s framing of migration. This paper argues that American Dirt reproduces hegemonic discourses of migration by focusing on the suffering of the main characters while erasing structural factors and the possibility of success. The study finds that the novel portrays migrants as weak and depressed—a representation that, while impactful, offers a reductive perspective on the complex and multi-layered nature of migration.

The study also engages with cultural conversations surrounding the novel, including debates on the representation of Mexican immigrants and the issue of cultural appropriation. The ideological aspects of these depictions are examined to highlight the need for realism and multimodality in narratives of migration.

This research is significant because it contributes to the discourse on the role literature plays in shaping public perceptions of migration. The author argues that future works of fiction should present migrants in a more nuanced and diverse manner to encourage readers to develop more balanced attitudes toward migrants and foster a healthier societal discourse on migration.