As a follow up to Bless Me, Ultima, Heart of Aztlán lacks the depth of the earlier work. Anaya is not able to reconcile literarily all of his thematic concerns. On the surface, the outcome is a shallow, romantic, adolescent novel which nearly overshadows the treatment of adult problems. The novel does have redeeming qualities, however, in its treatment of the urban experience and the problems inherent therein, as well as in its attempt to define the mythic dimension of the Chicano experience.
Externally, Heart of Aztlán's plot structure develops in three ways: the adolescent trials of Jason and Benjie, the urban experience and its impact upon the Chávez family, and Aztlán and its interpretation by Clemente and Crispín…. The novel attempts to accumulate and to assess the myths, legends, and social realities reflecting the totality of Chicanismo. Unfortunately, the author falls short of the mark due to a conceptual disparity between form, content and overall meaning. Occasionally, themes and concepts are too readily available to the reader. (p. 74)
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