“ESE BROTE DE LLANTO Y MELANCOLÍA”: UNA INDAGACIÓN EMOCIONAL SOBRE EL SUICIDIO EN LA OBRA DE MEDARDO ÁNGEL SILVA by Lourdes E. Schmader, B.S. A thesis submitted to the Graduate Council of Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts with a Major in Spanish August 2020 Committee Members: Carlos Abreu Mendoza, Chair Nieves Pujalte Luis Intersimone COPYRIGHT by Lourdes E. Schmader 2020 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, Lourdes E. Schmader, authorize duplication of this work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only. DEDICATION I first want to dedicate this work to God, because through him everything is possible. Thank you for all those small miracles that occur daily, it reminds us of his existence; encouraging us to continue achieving our dreams. Second, in the midst of this dream come true, I could not have chosen a better partner, my beloved husband, Kelly Schmader. I thank you for your unconditional support, for believing in me and for embarking with me on this creative journey of endless possibilities. Your love has served as a source of inspiration and refuge in my most vulnerable moments. Third, life is nothing if we cannot express our feelings and this work has seen the light, supported by memories of my childhood and by the tender example of love, understanding and respect that my dear grandparents Julio and Lidita professed in their lives. I dedicate this work to them, because they were the ones who instilled in me the love for poetry, and especially Silva's works. I have so many fond memories of occasions when we gathered to listen to my grandfather recite poems or listen to pasillos. Grandparents, I know that you are proud of my achievements from heaven. I miss you every day, but poetry holds us together! Finally, my dear Medardo Ángel Silva, this tribute has your name. Thank you for being the source of my inspiration and for making me feel proud to be Ecuadorian, despite being outside of the homeland. Your poetic sensitivity has not been in vain! DEDICATORIA Deseo dedicar este trabajo en primer lugar a Dios, porque por medio de él todo es posible. Gracias a todos esos pequeños milagros que ocurren a diario nos hace recordar sobre su existencia; animándonos a seguir alcanzando nuestros sueños. Y en medio de este sueño hecho realidad, no podría haber escogido un mejor compañero, esto va por ti, Kelly Schmader, mi amado esposo gracias por tu apoyo incondicional, por creer en mí y por embarcarte conmigo en el mundo de posibilidades. Tu amor me ha servido como fuente de inspiración y de refugio en mis momentos más vulnerables. La vida es nada si no podemos expresar nuestros sentimientos y es que este trabajo ha visto la luz, apoyado por recuerdos de mi infancia y por el tierno ejemplo de amor, comprensión y respeto que mis queridos abuelos Julio y Lidita se profesaron en vida. Dedico a ellos este trabajo, pues fueron los que me transmitieron ese amor hacia la poesía y en especial las obras de Silva. En mi mente quedan grabadas aquellas ocasiones en que nos reuníamos a escuchar a mi abuelito declamar poemas o escuchar pasillos. Abuelitos, sé que desde el cielo están orgullosos de mis logros. ¡Los extraño un mundo, pero la poesía nos mantiene unidos! Por último, mi querido Medardo Ángel Silva, este justo tributo tiene tu nombre, gracias por ser la fuente de mi inspiración y por hacerme sentir orgullosa de ser ecuatoriana a pesar de estar fuera del territorio patrio. ¡Tu sensibilidad poética no ha quedado en vano! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sometimes we ask ourselves if we should continue with the monotony, or do we give ourselves the opportunity to do what we like, which implies a change and that just thinking about the variation of that routine terrifies us; we have become accustomed to being creatures of habit. However, it is in those moments of fear when we must act because fear is the worst enemy of dreams. For this reason, two years ago I embarked on this adventure of doing what I like, which is to explore and write about literature. Along this path, I have met wonderful people who have shared both their knowledge and experiences with me. I want to thank the entire Department of World Languages and Literatures of Texas State University and its Chair, Dr. Lucy Harney, who always had her office door open to listen to me. Thank you very much for all your help and guidance. Also, I want to thank Dr. Yuri Porras, Spanish Graduate Program Coordinator, who dedicated many hours to guide me in the procedures and requirements of the career and above all, for always having my best interest in mind. Regarding this project, I wish to express a deep and special thanks to Dr. Carlos Abreu Mendoza, my mentor and thesis director. Thank you for always being there supporting me, for your advice and for believing in me. From the moment I took his Studies in Central American and Caribbean Literatures class and he passed on the ideas to analyze works using theories like those of Ahmed or Peluffo, on emotions, it made me want to see one of my favorite poets from another perspective, the human perspective, that of feelings. Thank you for that refreshing way of looking at literature and for all the vi conversations we exchanged about Silva and his writings. This work has been carefully prepared under your direction and guidance. I very much appreciate the dedication and long hours you have invested in reading about this project. In the same way, I want to thank the members of my committee, my dear Dr. Nieves Pujalte for always having a smile and giving me strength to keep going. I really enjoyed taking your Studies in Spanish Peninsular Literature 18th Century to the present class, and I am grateful for having the opportunity to read about María Dueñas and her book Las hijas del capitán. Those brave women in this story reaffirmed my desire to continue chasing my dreams. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences in the literary profession. To my esteemed Dr. Luis Intersimone, his Studies in South American Literatures class was the first master’s class I took. I loved the experience of this first class and later on I decided to take his Studies in the Cultures of the Americas class, in which I learned to analyze Latin American literature using theories such as those of Freud, Girard and Brooks. Thank you for your continued support and for sharing your wisdom. I cannot pass up the opportunity to recognize my dear professors: Dr. Sharon Ugalde, Dr. Catherine Jaffe, Dr. Yasmine Beale-Rosano-Rivaya, Dr. Margaret Dunaway, Dr. David Navarro, and Dr. Sergio Martínez. I have had the privilege of meeting them and taking their classes. Thank you very much for all your support, your dedication in teaching, for sharing your knowledge and above all for making us feel part of a community. vii To my family, especially my mother, because thanks to her sensitivity and her desire to listen to Ecuadorian music when she visits me, this project has emerged. Thank you, mother! You are unique. Also, I want to thank my dearest Aunt Rocío, for those nights of internet gatherings in which we delighted in speaking and interpreting the poetry of our dear Medardo. Likewise, I thank my loving Aunt Alegría, for encouraging me to discover the Ecuadorian literature and for sharing her knowledge with me. To my dear Uncle Iván and Aunt Sandrita, an infinite thanks for helping me to overcome the barrier and the frustration of not being able to find books on Ecuadorian literature in the United States. Thank you for giving me the updated version of the biography of Medardo Ángel Silva. I have been blessed with close family and friends who have always supported me. I thank you all infinitely! viii AGRADECIMIENTOS A veces nos cuestionamos si debemos seguir con la monotonía o nos damos la oportunidad de hacer lo que nos gusta, lo cual implica un cambio y es que el solo pensar en la variación de esa rutina nos aterra; nos hemos acostumbrado a ser criaturas de hábito. Sin embargo, es en esos momentos de miedo cuando debemos actuar, porque el miedo es el peor enemigo de los sueños. Por esta razón, hace dos años me embarqué en esta aventura de hacer lo que me gusta, que es explorar y escribir sobre la literatura. En este camino, me he encontrado personas maravillosas que sin dudarlo dos veces han compartido sus conocimientos y experiencias conmigo. Deseo agradecer a todo el departamento de World Languages and Literatures de Texas State University y a su directora, la Dra. Lucy Harney, quien siempre ha tenido la puerta abierta de su oficina para escucharme. Muchas Gracias por toda su ayuda y guía. Asimismo, deseo agradecer al Dr. Yuri Porras, coordinador del programa de posgrado en español, quien dedicó muchas horas para guiarme en los procedimientos y requisitos sobre la carrera y sobre todo por tener en mente siempre, mi mejor interés. En cuanto a este proyecto, deseo expresar un profundo y especial agradecimiento al Dr.