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Affect and Feminist Storytelling in Three

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Affect and Feminist Storytelling in Three Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 7-28-2020 2:00 PM Affect and Feminist Storytelling in Three Spanish American Novels: Leonora by Elena Poniatowska, De un salto descabalga la reina by Carmen Boullosa, and El infinito en la palma de la mano by Gioconda Belli Ayelet Ishai, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Robin, Alena, The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Hispanic Studies © Ayelet Ishai 2020 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Latin American Literature Commons Recommended Citation Ishai, Ayelet, "Affect and Feminist Storytelling in Three Spanish American Novels: Leonora by Elena Poniatowska, De un salto descabalga la reina by Carmen Boullosa, and El infinito en la palma de la mano by Gioconda Belli" (2020). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7346. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7346 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This dissertation analyzes the portrayals of the female protagonists of three Spanish American biographical novels in an exploration of identity formation within feminist literary expressions. Amidst the resurgence of auto/biographical genres, there has been an effort to revive the stories of the historically maligned, and biographical novels about women have become increasingly prevalent. The movement to recover and revise the stories of women, including those who have traditionally been interpreted within misogynist societies, reaches beyond the written text to influence not only the way a character is seen and understood, but the ways that readers see and understand themselves. As the formation of a biographical novel’s protagonist mirrors a person’s construction of their own identity, the character’s development within the novel provides a precedent from which the reader may interpret themselves and others. Historically, women have been offered limited options in the formation of identity, with female characters often lacking depth in supporting roles and one- dimensional stereotypes. The three female authors of the three novels included here address this discrepancy, fleshing out their female protagonists and providing a view into the changes these characters undergo through their lives. Employing the integrated-article format, this dissertation consists of three case studies of Latin American biographical novels with a central female character, written by female authors. With one chapter dedicated to the examination of each novel, the study includes Elena Poniatowska’s Leonora (2011), Carmen Boullosa’s De un salto descabalga la reina (2002), and Gioconda Belli’s El infinito en la palma de la mano (2008). Considering the i ways in which these novels represent their protagonists, this analysis recognizes the influence of affect – viewed as essential to an understanding of female identity as it was in the past, as it is in the present, and as it could be in the future. Summary for Lay Audience Considering the connection between biographical-style stories and the psychology of life narratives, this dissertation looks at feminist Latin American novels which represent biographical, historical, and/or mythical female characters. Reasoning that the well-known stories to which one is exposed influence how a person constructs their own life narrative and personal identity, the three case studies analyze the representations of each character and relate them to reader emotion (affect) and identity creation. With one chapter dedicated to the examination of each novel, the study includes Elena Poniatowska’s Leonora (2011), Carmen Boullosa’s De un salto descabalga la reina (2002), and Gioconda Belli’s El infinito en la palma de la mano (2008). These novels are part of a movement to recover and revise the stories of women, including those who have traditionally been interpreted within misogynist societies, with an understanding that these representations reach beyond the written text to influence not only the way a character is seen and understood, but the ways that readers see and understand themselves. Keywords Spanish American Literature, Feminism, Affect, Narrative Identity, Carmen Boullosa, Gioconda Belli, Elena Poniatowska, Leonora, El infinito en la palma de la mano, De un salto descabalga la reina ii Acknowledgments I would first like to express my sincere appreciation to my dedicated and remarkable supervisor, Dr. Alena Robin, for her encouragement and support over these many years. Beyond helping me as a supervisor, you have been a mentor and a friend who I deeply admire. I would also like to thank the thesis examination committee, (Dr. Michael Abeyta, Dr. Vladimir Tumanov, Dr. Marjorie Ratcliffe, and Dr. Juan Luis Suárez) for the time they have put into reading and responding to my work, and for their insightful feedback which has allowed me to improve it. Thank you to Sylvia Kontra, for her understanding and optimistic encouragement at times when I needed it most. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ana García-Allen, for her sense of humour and tenacious determination which have made her such a wonderful person to work with over these past 6 years. To the many professors who have inspired me over the years, and without whom I would not have continued on this path. In particular, to Dr. Marjorie Ratcliffe, whose dedication to her students goes beyond the call of duty and whose support and encouragement has been very meaningful to me. Thanks also to Dr. Rafael Montano, whose lectures and classes I would look forward to even as an undergraduate student. One of the surprises of graduate student life has been the group of wonderful friends I have been lucky to find there and who I would like to thank for being there to celebrate and commiserate during the emotional rollercoaster of graduate school. In particular, Antonio Jiménez, Nandita Dutta, Spencer Moyes, Alba Devo, and Maria Laura Flores Barba, among others. A special thanks to Ana González, who has been a steadfast and wonderful friend since the beginning. Adriana Soto-Corominas also needs an extra-special-thank-you-sentence of her own, so I can thank her for encouraging me to push myself to be better, in part by iii simply being an admirable force of awesomeness herself. Thanks should also go to the friends who have provided moral and emotional support along the way, including Sarah Molnar, Diana Pernokis, Dave Poisson, and Blair Ellis. I am extremely grateful to my family, for being there all along, and even appearing at my thesis presentation to support me. Eytan and Ilan, thank you for being unwaveringly supportive and encouraging. I am incredibly lucky to have such wonderful brothers and role models. Thank you to my Safta, Raia Luxenburg: you are the toughest woman I know, and yet one of the most intensely caring. And, of course, thank you to Imma and Abba, for their love and support throughout my life, and without whom I would not be here. An extra, extra special thank you has to go to my mother, Imma: thank you for always nurturing my curiosity, and for instilling in me a love of learning that has brought me to this point. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v Introduction ...................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Theoretical Framework and Literature Review ............................................................. 1 1.1 Story and Identity .................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 The Affective Turn ..................................................................................... 3 1.1.2 A Turn to Story ........................................................................................... 9 1.2 Stories of Women: Feminisms and Literature ...................................................... 13 1.2.1 A Brief History of Feminisms................................................................... 14 1.2.2 The Second Wave ..................................................................................... 17 1.2.3 The Third Wave and Critiques of Essentialism ........................................ 25 1.2.4 Feminist Literature in the Hispanic World ............................................... 31 1.3 Affect and Feminist Storytelling in Latin America .............................................. 40 1.4 Works Cited .......................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 52 2 Psychology of a Biographical Novel: Narrative Empathy in Poniatowska’s
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