This dissertation explores how Argentinian and Chilean narratives have depicted consumer society, consumption, consumerism, and related subjects such as capitalism, ideology, alienation, etc. It seeks to demonstrate that these topics have been significant in the productions of both canonical and non-canonical authors for centuries. Thus, I present an “itinerary of consumption” starting in the late 19th century with two novels of the Ciclo de la Bolsa (Stock Market Cycle), which show characters practicing what Thorstein Veblen calls “conspicuous consumption,” a key feature of what later has been called consumer society. The itinerary ends in 2018 with a novel that demonstrates that today consumption and consumerism play an important role even in art appreciation. Establishing the itinerary allows me, on the one hand, to corroborate the fundamental presence of consumption, consumerism, and related topics in a wide range of literary works and, on the other hand, to analyze how the depictions of these issues varied according to contexts in which the novels situate their plots. I argue that since these topics are crucial in Latin American societies and, therefore, in the establishment of personal identity and social relations, it is important to take them into consideration when analyzing the construction of literary characters, the actions they take, and the thoughts they express. Reading literary works from the point of view of their depictions of consumption and consumerism is not common in Latin American literary criticism; hence, it is a promising field of study. / 2026-02-05T00:00:00Z
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/48005 |
| Date | 05 February 2024 |
| Creators | Nassi Peric, Bruno F. |
| Contributors | Borinsky, Alicia, Lopes de Barros, Rodrigo |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | Spanish, en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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