This thesis examines contemporary musical and literary representations of female fatness in the Hispanic Caribbean. Chapter I explores the stereotype of a greater acceptance and valorization of fatness within the African Diaspora using contemporary feminist scholarship on cultural aesthetics and the body. Fatness is discussed as being both sexually transgressive and traditionally feminine. Chapter II juxtaposes male representations of “la gorda” in the lyrics of popular music of from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico with the feminist politics of underground hip hop. Chapter III analyzes Guillermo Cabrera Infante’s hyperbolic representation of La Estrella, his fictionalization of Cuban bolero singer Fredy Rodriguez, in Ella cantaba boleros y “Metafinal” (1996). The aquatic subtexts and grotesque characterization of La Estrella’s body construct her as an icon of musical authenticity and exceptionality as well as a symbol of strength and resistance.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVIV.1828/279 |
| Date | 17 December 2007 |
| Creators | Braden, Emily |
| Contributors | De Alba-Koch, Beatriz |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English, Spanish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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