The discourse of the last military regime in Argentina (1976-1983) emphasized the importance of protecting the family unit. The official rhetoric of the dictatorship assigned a formative, character building function to the institution of the family and idealized the concept of the traditional, nuclear family. According to the military leaders, the peace and security of the nation depended on the stability of the family. In spite of this rhetoric of family values, the tactics employed by the Military Junta transformed the family into an object of repression. The kidnappings and disappearances fragmented many families; parents and children suffered due to the state sponsored violence. As a consequence, there emerged a clear distinction between the official discourse of the dictatorship and the reality of the Argentine citizenship. The objective of our study is to examine how this contradiction between the discourse and the reality manifested itself in the literature of the moment. The literature appropriated the symbol of the family and subverted the official image in order to deconstruct and denounce the entire authoritarian system. In the first chapter we will present the historical background of the military regimes in Argentina. Special attention will be paid to the Junta Militar of 1976-1983 and its sociopolitical consequences. In the following chapters we will analyze the texts of three Argentine authors: La penultima version de la Colorada Villanueva (1978) by Marta Lynch, Ganarse la muerte (1976) by Griselda Gambaro and Cambio de armas (1982) by Luisa Valenzuela. As we explore the different representations of the family and the home in these works, we will be able to show the connection between the fragmentation of the family unit and the disintegration of the society at large. We will also demonstrate how the distorted personal relations reflect the social conditions under authoritarianism. We will consider the formation of the narrative voice as well, being that it represents the critical aspect of the texts on a structural level.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/289141 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Murphy, Jean Marie |
| Contributors | Promis, Jose |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | Spanish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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