This dissertation aims to articulate how textual representations of Valencia, with particular reference to selected texts of Lope de Vega: 1) contributes to a cohesive articulation of the storyline and the construction of characters peculiar to the historical context and materiality of late sixteenth century Valencia; and 2) denotes key aspects of the complex political relationship between Castile and Aragon as a direct consequence of the process of “castellanización”. Chapter 1 concentrates on the historical background of Valencia from the time it bame a Christian Kingdom (15th century) until the beginning of the seventeenth century. This aforementioned historical review delineates the main reasons behind Valencia's political and economic decline and enables the reader to fully grasp the City's role in Hapsburg Spain. In Chapter 2, Valencia's renowned mental asylum takes center stage in Lope de Vega's play Los locos de Valencia (1590-1592). It is argued that in Lope's comedia the hospital (a heterotopia of deviation) serves as an extended metaphor for the conflictive political relationship between Valencia and Castile. In the comedia, Valencia is represented as a political sanctuary making indirect reference to the infamous Antonio Pérez and his notorious runaway escapade through Aragon protected by the famous Fueros (“Charters”). Chapter 3 analyses literary representations of the festivities that took place in Valencia (1599) in celebration of the royal nuptials between Phillip III and Margaret of Austria. After careful analysis, it becomes clear that Phillip's privado -the duke of Lerma- used Valencia as a stage in order to consolidate his political power and wealth. Once the social masquerade ended, the City found itself submerged in a catastrophic economic crisis and even more dependent on Castile. Chapter 4 focuses on Lope de Vega's La viuda valenciana (1599) and how the literary reproduction of the Valencian urban space enables its main female character (Leonarda) to transgress social and gender roles. At a time when the City was conceptualized as a space of licentious behavior and sexual pleasures (in contrast to a more "rigid" Castile), the articulation of Leonarda can be interpreted as an extended metaphor for the historical context and materiality of Valencia. / acase@tulane.edu

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how Mexican author Cristina Rivera Garza (Matamoros, 1964) critiques gender in her novels. In an era of prolific publications dealing with gender, Rivera Garza's work stands out for its fresh critique of how socially gendered modes of behavior are "written" into the social code. I argue that she exposes latent and explicit gender prejudices and then literally and metaphorically rewrites gender expectations. Central to her objective is to quash binary divisions (masculine/feminine, male/female, privileged/marginalized) to create a space for nuanced, complex characters in her novels. Rivera Garza employs the metaphor of writing to weaken these gendered divisions and in doing so, she destabilizes the division between literary genres. / acase@tulane.edu

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acase@tulane.edu

This dissertation explains the role that Haiti's leading mainstream and alternative news outlets have played in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti. The role of the media as a civic institution that acts on behalf of and in alliance with civil society in times of crisis is the central theme of this dissertation. Prior research has demonstrated that Haiti's media has been at the heart of such a role in civic society throughout the country's two hundred plus years of independent existence. This dissertation argues that this media tradition has been revitalized, strengthened and put to the test by the current crisis the country faces in physical reconstruction from natural disaster, political reconstruction from fragile early attempts at democracy, and social reconstruction from decades of economic stagnation that have exacerbated poverty and living conditions of the average Haitian. This project uses a mixed methodological approach of qualitative methods and basic quantitative methods to analyze how Haitian journalists have covered the aftermath of the disaster. This research addressed three key elements: (1) the impact of the disaster on the fractions that existed within the leading news media outlets during the nation's ongoing experiment with democracy (2) the impact of the disaster on how journalists view and practice their profession (3) the impact of the disaster on the quality of news being produced in Haiti. Findings indicate that there was an initial solidarity reborn among key Haitian news outlets that has sustained itself four years into the crisis. The solidarity born out of this most recent crisis has resulted in changes in how journalists approach their civic duty, despite commercial strains, and how they cooperate through sharing of news content and resources. These changes are seen across all media platforms. Additionally, Haitian media outlets have taken joint stances on developments in the country since the 2010 disaster that has resulted in news content that is more critical of those who hold power, and more concerned with advocacy on behalf of the Haitian people in general. At a time when the Haitian people are searching for a path forward, Haiti's media is providing a powerful platform to debate the course of the country's future. / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu