University of Warwick institutional repository: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/57730 This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. Childhood in the Works of Silvina Ocampo and Alejandra Pizarnik by Fiona J. Mackintosh A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degreeof Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature University of Warwick, Centre for British and ComparativeCultural Studies August 2000 Any maps, pages,tables, figures graphs,or photographs,missing from this digital copy, have been excludedat the request of the university. 2 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ...........................................................................................................................2 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................................4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................6 DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................7 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................8 ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................10 CHAPTER 1: SILVINA OCAMPO, 'LA HERMANA PEQUENA' ....................................................21 VICTORIA OCAMPO: MAPPING CHILDHOOD CONTINENT 27 OF ONTO THE ................................................... ENUMERACIÖNDE LA 30 PATRIA .................................................................................................................... FAIRY STORIES 34 ....................................................................................................................................... SHARED SISTERLY MEMORIES 38 ................................................................................................................ 'LA NENA TODAVIA VIBRA EN Mf' 41 ........................................................................................................... RESISTANCE TO EXPLANATION 45 ............................................................................................................... GAMES I: Homo L UDENS 51 ........................................................................................................................ GAMES II: LIFE AND DEATH 54 ................................................................................................................... GAMES III: RICH MAN, POOR MAN, BEGGAR MAN 58 ................................................................................ A SEPARATE WORLD FOR CHILDREN: PARADISE OR PANDORA'S BOX? 61 ................................................. CHAPTER 2: CHILDHOOD IN SILVINA OCAMPO 65 ........................................................................ YOUTH AND AGE I: NOSTALGIA OR TERROR? 65 ......................................................................................... YOUTH AND AGE II: THE CHILD TEACHING ADULT 70 THE ........................................................................ YOUTH AND AGE III : THE CHILD THREATENING THE ADULT 72 ................................................................ CHILDHOOD AND SECOND CHILDHOOD 76 REJUVENATION .................................................................................................. ....................................................................................................................................... 80 NEVER-NEVER LAND? RESISTANCE TO GROWING UP(WARDS) 84 .............................................................. OCAMPO'S WRITING FOR CHILDREN 86 ....................................................................................................... THE CHILD'S PERSPECTIVE: BIRTH 89 ......................................................................................................... SEXUALITY: INITIATION AND VIOLATION 92 ............................................................................................... DEATH 97 .................................................................................................................................................... ACTING IN BAD FAITH: THE ADULT'S PERSPECTIVE 103 ............................................................................ CHAPTER 3: CHILDHOOD IN ALEJANDRA PIZARNIK 108 ............................................................ THE PIZARNIK MYTH 108 ............................................................................................................................ PIZARNIK'S CRITICAL RECEPTION 112 ........................................................................................................ DIARY AND POETRY 114 .............................................................................................................................. THE POET AND WORK: COCTEAU, BRETON SURREALISM 116 AND ............................................................. MADNESS 121 .............................................................................................................................................. PIZARNIK `JUGANDO AL PERSONAJEALEJANDRINO............................................................................... 124 CHILDHOOD AS A SACRED GARDEN: ALICE WONDERLAND 128 IN ................................................................ `LA MUERTE Y LA MUCHACHA': DEATH 132 ................................................................................................ ORPHANHOOD 135 ....................................................................................................................................... VIOLATION INNOCENCE 140 OF ................................................................................................................... TRANSGRESSION 142 ................................................................................................................................... THE SACRED AND ILLICIT COMBINE: 'JE 146 NE DESIRE QU'UN ANGE' ....................................................... CONCLUSION 149 ......................................................................................................................................... CHAPTER 4: SYLVETTE AND SACHA 152 ........................................................................................... FRIENDSHIP AND MUTUAL FRIENDS 152 ...................................................................................................... CHILDHOOD CIPHER? AS ....................................................................................................................... 158 PIZARNIK READING OCAMPO 164 ................ ................................................................................................ ELECTIVE AFFINITIES 169 ............................................................................................................................ 3 AFFINITIES: GARDENS (IN RUINS) 173 THEMATIC ....................................................................................... DOLLS 174 ................................................................................................................................................... MIRRORS 180 ............................................................................................................................................... PAINTING 183 .............................................................................................................................................. `LQUI$N ': THE SELF/SELVES 188 soy? ....................................................................................................... NIGHT DEATH 192 VIVIR, MORIR, PARTIR: THE AND ................................................................................... DIVERGENCES 193 ....................................................................................................................................... 196 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... BIBLIOGRAPHY 202 .................................................................................................................................. LETTERS SILVINA OCAMPO 202 BOOKS AND BY .......................................................................................... OCAMPO SINGLY JOURNALS 204 ITEMS BY PUBLISHED IN ........................................................................... SECONDARY MATERIAL OCAMPO 204 ON ................................................................................................... PIZARNIK 213 POETIC WORKS BY ALEJANDRA ............................................................................................ ALEJANDRA PIZARNIK 213 CRITICAL WORKS, DIARIES AND LETTERS BY .................................................. SECONDARY MATERIAL PIZARNIK 215 ON .................................................................................................