My thesis discusses the ways in which Sandra Cisneros makes historical claims from a Chicana perspective by telling fictional family stories in Caramelo. Not only have Chicanas traditionally been marginalized ethnically by the Anglo mainstream, they have also suffered disenfranchisement as women in their own male-dominated cultural community. Both elements have contributed to the cultural silencing of Chicanas outside of domestic spaces, and particularly in historical discourse. Cisneros introduces storytelling as a means of empowering Chicanas through language that allows them to speak historically and still signify culturally. By telling stories from the site of the family, she ingeniously utilizes a culturally allotted authority over the domestic sphere to branch out and discuss historical issues as they inform the lives of her Chicana narrator's family members. Thus, she succeeds in breaking the traditions of her culture that would silence Chicanas while allowing them to maintain their cultural identities. Presenting her historical assertions through fiction allows Cisneros to avoid the pitfalls of post-Enlightenment epistemological modes in historical discourse, introduce new perspectives on historical events, and invite historical discussion rather than shutting it off. Because all historical accounts are narratives that have been constructed by biased individuals, history and story are essentially the same. Cisneros calls attention to this concept as she conflates history and story in her novel. Empirically minded historians of the past insisted on one true version of history and thus ignored "other" viewpoints. Fiction creates a new space for discussion that does not disregard alternative viewpoints because it does not pretend to be fact. In addition, Cisneros employs an abundance of Chicano pop cultural references in Caramelo to create a cultural mythology for the Chicano community. Chicanos are alienated by the mainstream cultures on both sides of the border, and thus they generally feel culturally invalidated. By invoking pop cultural forms, primarily the telenovela, Cisneros fosters collectivity among Chicanos who can all relate to the signs of pop culture, which makes itself available to everyone regardless of class, race, gender, or geographic position. She asserts new views of history through the lens of pop culture, and strengthens the ability of Chicanos to enter historical discourse by strengthening cultural cohesiveness. Cisneros is helping to redefine American literature by calling attention to at least one of the marginal voices that are rapidly becoming the center in the United States.

Treating Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street and Chang-rae Lee's Native Speaker as Erziehungsroman—that is, stories whose coming-of-age process depends on the characters' education—reveals the similar process that both Esperanza Cordero and Henry Park experience as they navigate the 1960s and 1970s American school system. The most important obstacle in Esperanza's and Henry's ability to achieve academically is the contract of vagueness, the tacit agreement between federal education policy and English language learning (ELL) students to misunderstand one another. Differing cultural conceptions of education perpetuate this mutually detrimental relationship between education policy and ELL students, forcing Henry and Esperanza to choose between satisfying the cultural expectations of their ethnic communities and fulfilling the cultural expectations of their schools, a decision which initially appears mutually exclusive. Exacerbated by their school experiences, both Henry and Esperanza go through a process of rejecting and reclaiming their ethnicity as they come to terms with their ethnic identity. That both characters eventually turn to social advocacy as a solution not only to their own educational struggles but also to the ghettoization of their ethnic communities suggests cosmopolitanism as a solution to the constraints of the contract of vagueness, both for Henry and Esperanza and for their ethnic communities.

The main objective of this work, was to elaborate on the topic of Isabella I. of Castile. The main focus was an emphasis on historical facts, of which I derived from Czech and foreign literatures and historical compendiums. The first part describes the political and economic situation in the Ibe c y I b ' coronation. Further, I look at her biography with a focus on details that could testify about her character and personality. This section provides the basis and support for the second part of this thesis. Besides the historical books, I explore also studies in the field of psychology. In the second part I deal with the motives which led I b g g z d I' interested in her tendency to her fanatical behavior. The theme of the Spanish inquisition in this work occupies a marginal position. The whole work is written with the need to view Isabel from the most different ways. This is supported by typologies of her personality and her tendency to achieve her goals from her position. In conclusion, I summarize the thesis defense, which I had already set out in the introduction of this thesis. I wanted to defend this theory: "Isabela as the only one in the history of her family, was able to effectively complete the Reconquista. What helped her was - religious fanaticism, coupled with unusually strong internal...

Buscamos, a partir del análisis del pensamiento binario en relación con la dinámica social en la Lima decimonónica, resaltar la importancia de la reafirmación de la idea de individualidad, más allá de toda diferenciación de género, como propuesta alternativa para regenerar una sociedad contradictoria y decadente, un tema que, a nuestro entender, merece una mayor atención y debate. Consideramos que las propuestas de El conspirador. Autobiografía de un hombre público (de Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera) y Julia o escenas de la vida en Lima (de Luis Benjamín Cisneros), más allá de toda crítica o defensa de determinados grupos sociales o identidades discursivas, apuntan a revalorizar el libre albedrío del individuo (fortalecer su individualidad en un entorno social nuevo), de modo que, lo que define y legitima al sujeto, más que su figura discursiva, es su voluntad y no se puede regenerar una sociedad a partir del discurso, sino trascendiendo a él. Nos proponemos examinar las paradojas en las figuras discursivas de masculinidad y feminidad a partir de la crítica social presente en los mencionados textos. Si bien las diferencias de género serán objeto de atención, nos enfocaremos en la tensión entre las aspiraciones del individuo y las exigencias de su sociedad (una sociedad a la que ese individuo critica a partir de un discurso propio con el que pretende autoconstruir su identidad). Para ello, optamos por un análisis comparativo orientado a un balance de continuidades y diferencias. Los discursos dicotómicos que se pretenden cerrados y absolutos, ya sean impuestos por el poder social o propuestos por un individuo inconforme, se muestran relativos e insuficientes al momento de generar identidades sólidas y claramente diferenciadas. Así, pese a sus diferencias, ambas novelas parecen apuntar a la revalorización del libre albedrío del individuo más allá de todo intento por fijar identidades discursivamente. / Tesis

Essa dissertação consiste de uma leitura crítica do romance The House on Mango Street da autora Chicana Sandra Cisneros. O foco da minha leitura recai sobre Esperanza, a narradora do romance, e sua busca por um lar como representativo de sua necessidade de autoafirmação e desenvolvimento de sua identidade. Essa monografia analisa a questão identitária de um sujeito culturalmente híbrido e analisa ainda vários aspectos da narrativa, como a língua, o desejo que leva a tal narrativa e a questão de gênero. O uso das duas línguas, Espanhol e Inglês, é também marca dessa cultura híbrida. As representações femininas também são analisadas no romance. As figuras do imaginário mexicano influenciam e marcam o perfil das mulheres Mexicanas e Chicanas que aparecem na obra. O romance pode ser considerado como representativo de um discurso Chicano, no qual podemos acompanhar Esperanza em sua trajetória de crescimento em direção à vida adulta. O aporte teórico utilizado compreende autores que investigam questões identitárias, como Stuart Hall e Homi Bhabha, de gênero, como Cherríe Moraga e Gloria Anzaldúa e questões relativas aos mitos representativos do feminino no imaginário mexicano, através da análise de Octavio Paz. / This dissertation consists of a critical reading of the novel The House on Mango Street by Chicana author, Sandra Cisneros. The focus of my reading is on the narrator, Esperanza, and her quest for a home as emblematic of her need of self-assertion and the development of her identity. This study analyses identity issues of a culturally hybrid individual, and also several features of the narrative, such as the language, the desire that thrusts this same narrative, and gender issues. The use of the two languages, Spanish and English, is also a characteristic o this hybrid culture. The female representations are also analyzed in the romance. The female figures in the Mexican imaginary influence and mold the profile of the Mexican and Chicana women that are depicted in the novel. The novel can be considered as a representative of a literary Chicano discourse, in which we can follow Esperanza in her growth journey towards adulthood. The theoretical assumptions used in the analyses comprehend scholars who investigate identity issues, such as Stuart Hall and Homi Bhabha, gender, such as Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, and the representation of women under the scope Octavio Paz’s studies of Mexican myths that portray female models.

Essa dissertação consiste de uma leitura crítica do romance The House on Mango Street da autora Chicana Sandra Cisneros. O foco da minha leitura recai sobre Esperanza, a narradora do romance, e sua busca por um lar como representativo de sua necessidade de autoafirmação e desenvolvimento de sua identidade. Essa monografia analisa a questão identitária de um sujeito culturalmente híbrido e analisa ainda vários aspectos da narrativa, como a língua, o desejo que leva a tal narrativa e a questão de gênero. O uso das duas línguas, Espanhol e Inglês, é também marca dessa cultura híbrida. As representações femininas também são analisadas no romance. As figuras do imaginário mexicano influenciam e marcam o perfil das mulheres Mexicanas e Chicanas que aparecem na obra. O romance pode ser considerado como representativo de um discurso Chicano, no qual podemos acompanhar Esperanza em sua trajetória de crescimento em direção à vida adulta. O aporte teórico utilizado compreende autores que investigam questões identitárias, como Stuart Hall e Homi Bhabha, de gênero, como Cherríe Moraga e Gloria Anzaldúa e questões relativas aos mitos representativos do feminino no imaginário mexicano, através da análise de Octavio Paz. / This dissertation consists of a critical reading of the novel The House on Mango Street by Chicana author, Sandra Cisneros. The focus of my reading is on the narrator, Esperanza, and her quest for a home as emblematic of her need of self-assertion and the development of her identity. This study analyses identity issues of a culturally hybrid individual, and also several features of the narrative, such as the language, the desire that thrusts this same narrative, and gender issues. The use of the two languages, Spanish and English, is also a characteristic o this hybrid culture. The female representations are also analyzed in the romance. The female figures in the Mexican imaginary influence and mold the profile of the Mexican and Chicana women that are depicted in the novel. The novel can be considered as a representative of a literary Chicano discourse, in which we can follow Esperanza in her growth journey towards adulthood. The theoretical assumptions used in the analyses comprehend scholars who investigate identity issues, such as Stuart Hall and Homi Bhabha, gender, such as Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, and the representation of women under the scope Octavio Paz’s studies of Mexican myths that portray female models.

Essa dissertação consiste de uma leitura crítica do romance The House on Mango Street da autora Chicana Sandra Cisneros. O foco da minha leitura recai sobre Esperanza, a narradora do romance, e sua busca por um lar como representativo de sua necessidade de autoafirmação e desenvolvimento de sua identidade. Essa monografia analisa a questão identitária de um sujeito culturalmente híbrido e analisa ainda vários aspectos da narrativa, como a língua, o desejo que leva a tal narrativa e a questão de gênero. O uso das duas línguas, Espanhol e Inglês, é também marca dessa cultura híbrida. As representações femininas também são analisadas no romance. As figuras do imaginário mexicano influenciam e marcam o perfil das mulheres Mexicanas e Chicanas que aparecem na obra. O romance pode ser considerado como representativo de um discurso Chicano, no qual podemos acompanhar Esperanza em sua trajetória de crescimento em direção à vida adulta. O aporte teórico utilizado compreende autores que investigam questões identitárias, como Stuart Hall e Homi Bhabha, de gênero, como Cherríe Moraga e Gloria Anzaldúa e questões relativas aos mitos representativos do feminino no imaginário mexicano, através da análise de Octavio Paz. / This dissertation consists of a critical reading of the novel The House on Mango Street by Chicana author, Sandra Cisneros. The focus of my reading is on the narrator, Esperanza, and her quest for a home as emblematic of her need of self-assertion and the development of her identity. This study analyses identity issues of a culturally hybrid individual, and also several features of the narrative, such as the language, the desire that thrusts this same narrative, and gender issues. The use of the two languages, Spanish and English, is also a characteristic o this hybrid culture. The female representations are also analyzed in the romance. The female figures in the Mexican imaginary influence and mold the profile of the Mexican and Chicana women that are depicted in the novel. The novel can be considered as a representative of a literary Chicano discourse, in which we can follow Esperanza in her growth journey towards adulthood. The theoretical assumptions used in the analyses comprehend scholars who investigate identity issues, such as Stuart Hall and Homi Bhabha, gender, such as Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, and the representation of women under the scope Octavio Paz’s studies of Mexican myths that portray female models.

El presente trabajo analiza la aproximación al haiku de Javier Sologuren y Alfonso Cisneros Cox en el marco del creciente interés por este género a nivel latinoamericano. El análisis se centra en la comparación de los haikus con el modelo clásico japonés, tal como lo practicó Matsuo Bashō, siguiendo las teorías de los estudiosos Keene, Rodríguez Izquierdo, Rubio, Blyth y Haya Segovia. El haiku es valorado y ponderado como una expresión poética orientada a evocar un instante de experiencia en la naturaleza, logrando despertar el asombro ante la maravilla de la existencia. Los resultados del trabajo revelan la íntima afinidad de ambos poetas con el género, las modalidades de apropiación que practicaron, la priorización de ciertos aspectos estilísticos y espirituales en su comprensión del haiku, la innovación en los recursos para lograrlo y la singularidad de sus creaciones, basada en la mezcla auténtica del género con sus propias poéticas. La principal conclusión que puede desprenderse de este trabajo es que los autores asimilaron este género poético para dar forma y expresión a su particular sensibilidad e integrarlo a la tradición poética peruana.

This dual thesis seeks to explore the implications of socioeconomic class position for the formation of gender and sexual identities. Utilizing social theories of class and gender, I suggest that because a disadvantageous class location frames social relations in terms of privilege and movement, gender and sexual identities are thus similarly conceptualized; effectively, gender performance and sexual behaviors become attached to notions of value and movement. I turn to Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street to think through the nuances of such an argument, highlighting the experiences of foiled characters Sally and Esperanza to realize how classed confines and gendered expectations literally and figuratively shape their understandings of social relations and movement.

My study aims to reveal how ideologies, the way we perceive our world, what we believe, and our value judgments inextricably linked to a dominant discourse, have real and material consequences. In addition to explicating how these ideologies stem from a Western philosophical tradition, this thesis examines this thought-system alongside selections from Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and Caramelo or Puro Cuento. My project reveals how Cisneros’ spatial narratives challenge ideologies concerning the border separating the United States and Mexico, which proves significant as the project of decolonization and understanding of identity formation is fundamentally tied to these geographical spaces. Through the main chapters in this thesis, it is proposed that Cisneros’ storytelling does not attempt to counter fixed ideas of spaces and identity or an alleged objective Truth and single History by presenting a true or better version, but offers alternative narratives as a form of resistance to dominant discourse.