Examining Narrative Structure and Cultural
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TOMORROW IS FOREVER: EXAMINING NARRATIVE STRUCTURE AND CULTURAL ARCHETYPES IN THREE MEXICAN TELENOVELAS by MARISSA CAROLINA DE ANDA A THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Telecommunication and Film in the Graduate School of The University of Alabama TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA 2009 Copyright Marissa Carolina De Anda 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT Telenovelas are a staple of Mexican popular culture and their narratives communicate discursive, ideological meanings stemming from the history and myths of that culture. The current study provides an in-depth textual analysis of three Mexican telenovelas currently airing on the US Spanish-language network, Univision: Las Tontas No Van al Cielo, Cuidado con el Ángel, and Mañana Es Para Siempre. One week’s worth of episodes, from Wednesday to Wednesday, February 25-March 4, 2009, was analyzed. The purpose of this textual analysis is to examine how narrative is constructed and what culturally specific elements are expressed and promoted through the narrative elements, character archetypes, theme songs, and imagery of these telenovelas and their opening credits. This study offers an understanding of the historical roots of the archetypes seen in these telenovela as well as a framework for understanding their narrative structure. A structuralist approach is used to facilitate analyzing both the narrative structure and character archetypes. Ultimately, a framework was created to explain how specific narrative functions are used on a daily basis to forestall the main couple’s happiness until the very last episode. Examining the functions in telenovelas reveals how, in many ways, the storylines are variations of similar plots with similar character archetypes. This thesis also contributes to the small body of literature that exists in examining and understanding how historical figures and gender roles are presented and promoted within telenovelas. Telenovelas’ elaborate title sequences are also analyzed to see how they express narrative elements and specific cultural meanings in compressed form. Finally, ii the distinctive manner in which title sequences promote the stars associated with the telenovelas is considered. iii DEDICATION Dedico esta tesis con todo cariño a mis padres, Juan Manuel De Anda y María Guadalupe Ramírez de De Anda, quienes a pesar de la distancia siempre me han hecho sentir lo importante que soy para ellos. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deepest gratitude goes to my mentor and committee chair Dr. Jeremy Butler. Thank you for your patience and guidance throughout every step of this arduous but enriching process. I am grateful to Dr. Gary Copeland and Dr. Jason Black for sharing their time, advice and support. I would also like to thank Dr. Johnny Sparks, Dr. Erin Ryan, Dr. Shuhua Zhou and Marylou Cox for always having their doors wide open whenever I needed them. I thank all my friends for providing me with much needed distractions whenever I needed to ease my stress. I am grateful to Ms. Sue Rickels for always sharing her words of wisdom and encouragement. I thank Xavier for always being there for me and helping me in every way possible. I could not have finished this Master’s program without him. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my wonderful family. I thank Juan for being the best brother a sister could ever ask for. He has always believed in me and supported my dreams and for that I am eternally grateful. Papi y Mami, gracias por brindarme todo su amor, su apoyo y ayuda incondicional en todo momento; porque sin uds., no hubiese logrado terminar éstas etapas tán importantes de mi vida como mi tesis y my título de Maestría. Agradezco todos los sacrificios que han hecho para que pudiera lograr tener esta educación en los Estados Unidos la cual me ha abierto un mundo lleno de grandes oportunidades. Siempre serán los pilares de mi vida y el mejor ejemplo a seguir. Porque me han enseñado a ser fuerte, trabajadora, positiva, perseverante y nunca darme por vencida. v CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ........................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...........................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................... ix 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................5 a. Genre Theory ...........................................................................................6 b. The Soap Opera and Telenovela Genre ...................................................8 c. Narrative Structure .................................................................................12 d. Analyzing Title Sequences ....................................................................21 e. Cultural Identity and Gender ..................................................................24 3. DECONSTRUCTING THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE ..................36 a. Telenovela Time .....................................................................................37 b. Functions ................................................................................................44 4. DICHOTOMIZING CHARACTER ARCHETYPES ...........................68 a. La Virgen de Guadalupe vs. La Malinche .............................................70 b. Marianismo vs. Machismo .....................................................................84 c. Poor vs. Rich ..........................................................................................91 vi 5. JUDGING TELENOVELAS BY THEIR TITLE SEQUENCES .........96 a. Title Sequences—Microcosms of Narrative Elements ..........................97 b. Title Sequences as Promotional Tools .................................................111 6. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................121 NOTES .....................................................................................................127 REFERENCES ........................................................................................132 vii LIST OF TABLES 3.1 The Segmentation of Scenes in Three Telenovelas .............................39 3.2 Timing of Telenovela Acts and Episodes ............................................40 3.3 Telenovela Narrative Functions ...........................................................47 viii LIST OF FIGURES 4.1 La Virgen de Guadalupe and Juan Diego ............................................71 4.2 Candy tries to save her institute for women .........................................74 4.3 Soledad becomes a martyr ...................................................................75 4.4 Soledad becomes a martyr ...................................................................75 4.5 Soledad dies like a martyr ....................................................................76 4.6 Michelangelo’s Pietà ...........................................................................76 4.7 Purita prays to the Virgin Mary ...........................................................77 4.8 Marichuy brings roses to La Virgen.....................................................78 4.9 Cuidado con Marichuy ........................................................................78 4.10 Candelaria comforts Marichuy ..........................................................80 4.11 Mariana teaches Mayita .....................................................................80 4.12 Bárbara receiving orders from Artemio .............................................82 4.13 Blanca ................................................................................................84 4.14 Ivette ..................................................................................................84 4.15 Camilo physically abuses Erika .........................................................86 4.16 Camilo physically abuses Erika .........................................................86 4.17 Promotional photo for Las tontas .......................................................88 4.18 Camilo whipping Jacinto (in flashback). ...........................................92 ix 4.19 Camilo whipping Jacinto (in flashback). ...........................................92 4.20 Camilo threatens Jacinto ....................................................................92 4.21 Jacinto’s scars ....................................................................................92 5.1 Fernanda and Eduardo kiss for the first time .......................................98 5.2 Fernanda marrying Damián .................................................................98 5.3 The last shot of Mañana’s title sequence .............................................99 5.4 Candy and Santiago’s suffering .........................................................100 5.5 Candy and Santiago’s suffering .........................................................100 5.6 Candy and Santiago find love again ..................................................101 5.7 The last shots of Las tontas title sequence .........................................101 5.8 The last shots of Las tontas title sequence .........................................101