The present dissertation discusses primary dichotomies in discourses, cultural and economic practices which operate to entrench divisions and fetter notions of identity in two of Elena Poniatowska's (b. 1932) novels: La 'Flor de Lis' (1988) and Hasta no verte Jesús mío (1969). More specifically, this study has taken relevant concepts provided by Cultural Studies, such as power and hegemony, in order to bring forward questions of economic transnationalism and cultural practices in the main characters. Through the parameters of deconstruction and demythologization we interrogate how binary oppositions such us the paradigms of Modernity and Postmodernity converge in Poniatowska's works. We observe that notions of logocentrism are present in the friendship between two of the characters in La 'Flor de Lis': on one side, there is Magda the peripheral subject, whose orality permeates Mariana's lettered culture. Thus, we establish the connection between the city and Modernity, and at the same time, we emphasize how the Other's voice, under the paradigm of Modernity, is associated with barbarians, while under Postmodernity it acquires a space among hegemonic forces. In both novels we notice how, after the Revolution (1910), the Mexican state generates a modernizing project by fomenting the idea of a modern national subject; this is done in order to transcend social fragmentation. The process that Étienne Balibar denominates fictive ethnicity helps the State to create a national- popular representation based in the triad formed by a shared language, history and origins; however, the four characters in Poniatowska's novels do not comply with the State's efforts. Instead, they challenge those representations that ultimately expose the failure of the two main grand narratives: Modernity (the idea of progress and equality), and the Nation. In conclusion, we emphasize that the dialogue between the characters in Hasta no verte Jesús mío and La 'Flor de Lis' completes a circle in which Magda is the liberating trigger for Mariana's actions, as Jesusa is for Poniatowska. In particular, social differences between Mariana and Jesusa make possible a reading in which they not only establish a dialogue but also, through that dialogue, the reader may observe economic and social structures through two paradigms: Modernity and Postmodernity.

El proposito de esta tesis es de examinar la intertextualidad que aparece en la novela Tunisima, de Elena Poniatowska y analizar hasta que punto ella ha usado diferentes voces. Elena Poniatowska durante diez anos recopilo material para su obra. En ella relata la vida de la fotografa y revolucionaria, Tina Modotti, durante los anos 1929 a 1942. La novela Tinisima tiene treinta y siete secciones a lo que la he divido en tres partes. Cada una de esas partes tiene que ver con la vida de los companeros de Modotti que toman mas importancia en el desarrollo de la obra. En la primera parte Julio Antonio Mella es presentado, ahi vemos una intertextualidad historica no solo de Mexico sino de otros paises. La segunda parte introduce a Edward Weston y por ella desf ilan un gran numero de personas de la sociedad mexicana de esa epoca. Poniatowska hace esto usando como palimpsesto el The Daybooks of Edward Weston. En la ultima parte hace una intertextualidad tanto oral como historica porque ahi refine varias entrevistas de gente que conocio a Tina, especialmente la de Vittorio Vidali. Cada parte tambien trata de los problemas politicos que habian en diferentes paises tanto americanos como europeos. Poniatowska ha tornado en cuenta cuidadosamente todos los detalles de la vida de Tina Modotti y los ha traspasado a su novela con una reunion de voces que no han salido exclusivamente de su pluma pero si ha usado su imaginacion para unir todas esas voces.

This dissertation addresses the challenges of translating the Contemporary Mexican crónica from Spanish into English. The crónica, being a type of nonfiction literature and possessing unique features particularly with regards to its ability to be read like a novel, presents distinctive challenges in translation. This dissertation looks closely at the particularities of translating Elena Poniatowska’s Amanecer en el Zócalo (Mexico: Planeta, 2007), a crónica based on the 2006 federal election in Mexico and the subsequent civil resistance movement inspired by the outcome. This dissertation addresses questions surrounding the translation of the crónica: What challenges are unique in translating this genre and why? Why are there so few crónicas translated into English? What decisions can the translator make in order to resolve these particular difficulties? In order to attempt to answer these questions, I first looked into the genre of the crónica and attempted to situate it within the Mexican system of literature and culture. The result found was that, based on some recent theories of systems in culture and translation, the crónica, as a genre of literature that always seeks to address current issues in society and foster positive social development, is in itself a vehicle for social change. I then looked at other crónicas that have been translated into English and compared other translators’ decisions to the ones I made—or have yet to make—within my own translation of Poniatowska’s text. Finally, in observing the ways in which the translator of the crónica tends to alter the genre of the text in translation, I showed how the text, in English, loses some of the defining characteristics of the crónica and serves a different purpose in the target culture—it educates the reader on past (and present) social issues in other cultures, and it appeals to a different type of audience in the target culture—it attracts readers interested in studying another culture rather than readers who feel an intimate connection with the crónica’s context.

This dissertation addresses the challenges of translating the Contemporary Mexican crónica from Spanish into English. The crónica, being a type of nonfiction literature and possessing unique features particularly with regards to its ability to be read like a novel, presents distinctive challenges in translation. This dissertation looks closely at the particularities of translating Elena Poniatowska’s Amanecer en el Zócalo (Mexico: Planeta, 2007), a crónica based on the 2006 federal election in Mexico and the subsequent civil resistance movement inspired by the outcome. This dissertation addresses questions surrounding the translation of the crónica: What challenges are unique in translating this genre and why? Why are there so few crónicas translated into English? What decisions can the translator make in order to resolve these particular difficulties? In order to attempt to answer these questions, I first looked into the genre of the crónica and attempted to situate it within the Mexican system of literature and culture. The result found was that, based on some recent theories of systems in culture and translation, the crónica, as a genre of literature that always seeks to address current issues in society and foster positive social development, is in itself a vehicle for social change. I then looked at other crónicas that have been translated into English and compared other translators’ decisions to the ones I made—or have yet to make—within my own translation of Poniatowska’s text. Finally, in observing the ways in which the translator of the crónica tends to alter the genre of the text in translation, I showed how the text, in English, loses some of the defining characteristics of the crónica and serves a different purpose in the target culture—it educates the reader on past (and present) social issues in other cultures, and it appeals to a different type of audience in the target culture—it attracts readers interested in studying another culture rather than readers who feel an intimate connection with the crónica’s context.

This dissertation addresses the challenges of translating the Contemporary Mexican crónica from Spanish into English. The crónica, being a type of nonfiction literature and possessing unique features particularly with regards to its ability to be read like a novel, presents distinctive challenges in translation. This dissertation looks closely at the particularities of translating Elena Poniatowska’s Amanecer en el Zócalo (Mexico: Planeta, 2007), a crónica based on the 2006 federal election in Mexico and the subsequent civil resistance movement inspired by the outcome. This dissertation addresses questions surrounding the translation of the crónica: What challenges are unique in translating this genre and why? Why are there so few crónicas translated into English? What decisions can the translator make in order to resolve these particular difficulties? In order to attempt to answer these questions, I first looked into the genre of the crónica and attempted to situate it within the Mexican system of literature and culture. The result found was that, based on some recent theories of systems in culture and translation, the crónica, as a genre of literature that always seeks to address current issues in society and foster positive social development, is in itself a vehicle for social change. I then looked at other crónicas that have been translated into English and compared other translators’ decisions to the ones I made—or have yet to make—within my own translation of Poniatowska’s text. Finally, in observing the ways in which the translator of the crónica tends to alter the genre of the text in translation, I showed how the text, in English, loses some of the defining characteristics of the crónica and serves a different purpose in the target culture—it educates the reader on past (and present) social issues in other cultures, and it appeals to a different type of audience in the target culture—it attracts readers interested in studying another culture rather than readers who feel an intimate connection with the crónica’s context.

This dissertation addresses the challenges of translating the Contemporary Mexican crónica from Spanish into English. The crónica, being a type of nonfiction literature and possessing unique features particularly with regards to its ability to be read like a novel, presents distinctive challenges in translation. This dissertation looks closely at the particularities of translating Elena Poniatowska’s Amanecer en el Zócalo (Mexico: Planeta, 2007), a crónica based on the 2006 federal election in Mexico and the subsequent civil resistance movement inspired by the outcome. This dissertation addresses questions surrounding the translation of the crónica: What challenges are unique in translating this genre and why? Why are there so few crónicas translated into English? What decisions can the translator make in order to resolve these particular difficulties? In order to attempt to answer these questions, I first looked into the genre of the crónica and attempted to situate it within the Mexican system of literature and culture. The result found was that, based on some recent theories of systems in culture and translation, the crónica, as a genre of literature that always seeks to address current issues in society and foster positive social development, is in itself a vehicle for social change. I then looked at other crónicas that have been translated into English and compared other translators’ decisions to the ones I made—or have yet to make—within my own translation of Poniatowska’s text. Finally, in observing the ways in which the translator of the crónica tends to alter the genre of the text in translation, I showed how the text, in English, loses some of the defining characteristics of the crónica and serves a different purpose in the target culture—it educates the reader on past (and present) social issues in other cultures, and it appeals to a different type of audience in the target culture—it attracts readers interested in studying another culture rather than readers who feel an intimate connection with the crónica’s context.

The subject of this thesis is Leonora written by Elena Poniatowska. The aim of the study is to analyze the literary technique and strategy used in constructing this book which depicts the life of a famous painter, Leonora Carrington. The analysis concentrates on two aspects: the extent of its feminist character and whether it can be classified as a fictional biography or a biographic fiction. In order to arrive at a conclusion on these issues a brief summary of literary and feminist theory is presented as well as a short description of relevant aspects of the surrealist movement. According to the author Leonora does not pretend to be a biography but rather a tribute to a great woman and artist. This esay however sustains that the book is a feminist fictional biography. In fact it builds upon books written by Carrington herself with a highly autobiographical content as well as on biographical texts. Both the author and her protoganist are well-known for their feminist stand and the analysis shows how feminist theory or thinking is reflected both on behalf on the writer as well as in the construction of the hero and certain aspects of her life that build up this biographical fiction.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [365]-387).

The novel Leonora by Elena Poniatowska is about Leonora Carrington who was born into a wealthy family and challenged family traditions, and those expectations imposed by her social background and her gender. It will be shown that the main character acts according to a self-construction process free of social impositions. Simone de Beauvoir’s well-known phrase “one is not born a woman, one becomes one”, is one of the feminist positions that contributes to this analysis, as well as the literary techniques explained by Gérard Genette, Oscar Tacca, Mieke Bal and the narratology theories of focalization, direct speech, indirect speech and free indirect speech. The aim of this essay is to analyze the literary techniques that present the self-construction of the main character, and their effects on the reader. The hypotheses of this essay are that in order to present the self-construction of the character, the literary techniques create an effect of alternately zooming the reader in to the main character’s experience, and zooming out to a more objective view. In addition, the literary techniques used to present Carrington’s self-construction seek to show her feminist stance and her transgressions in both private and public spheres. Poniatowska’s literary techniques deliver the message that when a woman is released from social and cultural constraints she has the power to modify spheres.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Spanish and Portguese, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-71).