Forms of sentiment in the 21st century U.S. latina/o novel
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- My dissertation, Sentimental Forms in the 21st Century U.S. Latina/o Novel, contributes to an emerging body of scholarship on the racialization of feeling within the fields of feminist theory and comparative race and ethnicity studies. Specifically, this project demonstrates how three Latina/o novels, Sandra Cisneros' Caramelo (2002), Salvador Plascencia's The People of Paper (2005), and Junot Díaz The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), self-consciously depict the sentiments of first and second generation Latino protagonists. This dissertation argues that these contemporary Latino sentiments are articulated through new character types--acculturated Latinos who form their own sense of Latino identity for the New Millennium while also caring about the political history and fate of immigrants from Latin America. My analysis identifies three historically-aware types: Sandra Cisneros's "pragmatic Chicana, " Salvador Plascencia's "the Melancholic Mexican American, " and Junot Díaz's "Sentimental GhettoNerd." Instead of feeling sympathy and empathy--two emotions associated with the 18th and 19th century sentimental novel that prompts the readers to either "feel for" or "feel with" the less privileged-- these Latino character types emote pragmatism, wistful whimsy, and self-compassion, challenging a traditional model of sentimentality where "identifying with" is a precursor to caring about the pain, struggles and wishes of others. Additionally, these acculturated Latino character types also serve as a model for ethically reading the emotional struggles of the immigrant generation. Overall, this project furthers conversations about the contemporary Latina/o novel, cultural representations of gender and race and how we make sense of the intimate manifestations of history that we deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2013 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Carrillo, Guadalupe |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of English. |
| Primary advisor | Moya, Paula M. L |
| Thesis advisor | Moya, Paula M. L |
| Thesis advisor | Elam, Michele |
| Thesis advisor | Saldívar, Ramón, 1949- |
| Advisor | Elam, Michele |
| Advisor | Saldívar, Ramón, 1949- |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Guadalupe Carrillo. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of English. |
| Thesis | Ph.D. Stanford University 2013 |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2013 by Guadalupe Carrillo
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
Also listed in
Loading usage metrics...