Sex, violence and politics: Eroticism in the work of Cristina Peri Rossi Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Fonder-Solano, Leah Jean Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 25/09/2021 06:28:15 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289489 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMl films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter &ce, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMT directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infonnation Company 300 North Zed> Road, Ann Aibor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 SEX, VIOLENCE AND POLITICS: EROTICISM IN THE WORK OF CRISTINA PERI ROSSI by Leah Jean Fonder-Solano Copyright © Leah Jean Fonder-Solano 1997 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN SPANISH In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1997 UMI Number; 9738941 Copyright 1997 by- Fonder-Solano, Leah Jean All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9738941 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ami Arbor, MI 48103 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ® GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Leah Fnndpr-Snlann si^titled Sex. Violence and Politi'p.sr Rrntirism in ^hp Wnrk.q nf rri.qM'na Peri Rossi and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Dor for of Philnc^nphy Z. / ^ Date QJXJ^ i/rs/c/y Date Date Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Dissertation Director Date 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been siibraitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for cin advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers xinder rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. Signed: 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. ABSTRACT 5 II. CHAPTER 1: PERI ROSSI'S SOCIO-HISTORICAL AND LITERARY CONTEXT 7 Socio-Historic Background 7 Critical Reactions 10 A New Language 17 Sexuality, Eroticism, Pornography 29 III. CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL AND MYTHICAL REVISIONS 37 Revisionist Mythmaking 37 Eroticism and Psychology: Freud 39 Eroticism and Psychology: Lacan 49 Mythical Revisions 59 IV. CHAPTER 3: CONSIDERATIONS OF SEX AND GENDER 68 Defining Sex and Gender 68 Gender as Performance 74 Masculine Gender Roles 85 Feminine Gender Roles 93 Inversions of Gender Role 96 V. CHAPTER 4: BREAKING NORMS OF SEXUALITY 100 Theoretical Considerations of Sexuality 100 Heterosexual Violence and Power Struggles ... 107 Lesbianism 127 Children and Sexuality 133 Incest 144 VI. CHAPTER 5: SEXUALITY, EROTICISM AND POLITICS 150 Symbolic and Allegorical Representations .... 153 Sexual and Political Dysfunction 158 Authoritarianism as Sexual/Political Invasion 164 CONCLUSION 175 WORKS CITED 181 5 ABSTRACT Cristina Peri Rossi (Uruguay, 1941) highly privileges sexual and erotic themes in her writing. Although literary critics have tended to eschew this facet of the author's work in favor of her irreverent social critiques, this study proposes to show how Peri Rossi's erotic representations act both directly and indirectly to articulate such arguments. In this regard, my objectives are twofold: First, I examine how Peri Rossi inscribes her erotic writing into a male- dominated tradition of erotic literature. To this end, I discuss her revision of canonical works which govern/reflect social norms of gender and sexuality, particularly traditional psychoanalytical theory and classic mythology. I then explore how the author's erotic representations relate to the various social concerns she addresses in her writing, specifically issues of sex/gender, sexuality and authoritarian government. Regarding sex/gender, I focus on Peri Rossi's deconstruction of the binary engendering system, resulting in the possibility of change in and/or ambiguity of both sex and sexuality; the author's literary transgressions of social gender roles are also considered. With respect to sexuality, I discuss how Peri Rossi challenges social norms of sexuality through representations 6 Of homosexuality, children's sexuality and incest. Finally, I address Peri Rossi's allegorical indictment of military abuses though sexual and/or erotic depictions. In each of these cases. Peri Rossi transforms eroticism, a traditionally private matter, into a public vehicle capable of opposing and subverting social oppression. 7 Chapter One Peri Rossi's Socio-Historic and Literary Context 1.1 Socio-historic Background Throughout the 60s and early 70s, until her exile to Spain in 1972, the Uruguaysin writer Cristina Peri Rossi won several national prizes and widespread recognition by literary critics.^ This acclaim focused primarily on her innovative --and frighteningly accurate--^ allegorical rendering of Uiruguay's political instability and incipient violence. Her works denounce both the decadent democratic government in Uruguay and the repressive military regime that succeeded it in 1973.^ Because political protest plays such an important role in Peri Rossi's work, it will be helpful to review briefly the major events involved in Uruguay's transition from a democratic government to a ^Los museos abandonados was awarded Area Editorial's "Premio de los Jovenes in 1968; El libro de mis primos won the Biblioteca de Marcha's prize for narrative in 1969. 'The collection of short stories, Indicios p^nicos. is credited with predicting future events, such as the political scourges and human rights violations which began in earnest in 1973. ^See Hugo Achugar, "Primeros apuntes," Mario Benedetti, "Vino nuevo" y Angel Rama, La ciudad letrada y La generacion crltica. 8 military state. Throughout the twentieth century, the Uruguayan government has been characteristically party-centered, with two major parties, the "Colorados" and the "Blancos," deciding all major issues of national affairs. By 1971, however, instability threatened this bipartisan system. The corruption and inefficiency of the entire bureaucracy, along with economic crisis and growing pressures from the lower class, divided the two traditional parties into what Carlos Andres Lujan terms "two-and-a-half parties" as dissenting factions separated from the major parties amid mounting leftist support (21). This governmental instability was further aggravated by what political scientist Edy Kaufman terms a "power vacuum" (22) . Juan Maria Bordaberry, who was president at the time of the coup, proved to be a weak leader; he ceded easily to military pressures, affording top officers substantial political power in exchange for their support of his presidency. Ironically, the leftist guerrilla organization Movimiento Nacional de Liberacion, known as the Tupamaros, afforded military leaders an excuse to intervene into matters of the State; their main justification for seizing control was to eliminate the Tupamaros, which they claimed had permeated the University and other institutions. Once the military appropriated decision-making 9 responsibilities, it consolidated its power by defining the government as a "civil military regime"; that is, military officials effectively ruled the country, yet they retained the president as a figurehead in order to gain a wider base of support. However, these officials lacked a coherent, long-range plan as to the management of national