Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Languages & Literature's
First Advisor
Cynthia A. Sloan
Term of Graduation
Winter 1997
Date of Publication
1997
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Spanish
Department
World Languages and Literatures
Language
English
Subjects
Women in literature, Identity (Psychology) in literature, Ferrâe, Rosario Papeles de Pandora
DOI
10.15760/etd.8202
Physical Description
1 online resource (74 pages)
Abstract
This thesis examines four stories from Rosario Ferre's first book of short stories, Papeles de Pandora: "La mufieca menor," "Cuando las mujeres quieren a los hombres," "Amalia," and "La bella durmiente." In Papeles de Pandora, Ferre explores the portrayal of female identity by dismantling the traditional roles that are assigned to women in Puerto Rican, patriarchal society. This thesis analyzes the ways in which Ferre skillfully deconstructs and (re )constructs the identity and sense of self of her female protagonists.
To demonstrate Ferre's deconstruction and (re)construction of the female identity, This study focuses on Ferre's use ofrecurring motifs such as: the use of doll like figures, the juxtaposition of black and white, and fantastical elements. These elements, evocative of lucid tendency of postmodern theory, underscore the process by which women either conform to or reject the roles imposed upon them by patriarchal society. Asking the reader for a momentary "suspension of disbelief," Ferre employs those devices to dramatize the ways in which patriarchal society's tools of oppression are used against women. Ferre then appropriates these tools and uses them to denounce the injustices committed against women. With this act, Ferre makes evident the individual's ability to build a new, and more authentic identity in an oppressive social context.
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/39784
Recommended Citation
Pratt, Marcie Lynn, "The Female Identity in Rosario Ferrâe’s Papeles de Pandora" (1997). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6348.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.8202
Comments
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