“The Book Needs it:” Bilingualism and Biculturalism in Latinx U.S. Novels by Zoraida Córdova and Benjamín Alire Sáenz

Abstract

This essay examines the use of bilingualism and code-switching in works of fiction by U.S. Latinx writers, while also focusing on the historical development of Latinx literature, dating back to the 1960s with the Chicano Movement. It examines the use of bilingualism in Zoraida Cordova's novel The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina (2021) and Benjamin Alire Sáenz's novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012). Code-switching, a common practice in multilingual societies, is defined as the change from one language to another during conversation. The essay explores the effects of two cultures and languages on literature, specifically English and Spanish in the U.S., using a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the literary, linguistic, social, and cultural aspects of code-switching in contemporary Latinx U.S. literature.