Stepping out of the cloak of voiceless-ness : a post-colonial and feminist analysis of the representation of the black female voice in the Afro-Hispanic narrative
Abstract
My dissertation focuses on the articulation of the black female voice in the literary traditions that have emerged in the Equatoguinean and Afro- Costa Rican socio-cultural contexts in the contemporary period. It interrogates especially the representations of this female minority voice in the narrative works of, Ekomo written by, Maria Nsue Angue and Shadows of your black memory (Tinieblas de tu memoria negra), by Donato Ndongo, both writers of Equatorial Guinea. Additionally, this treatment extends to include the Afro-Costa Rican narrative works of Limón Blues written by Ana Cristina Rossi and The four mirrors (Los Cuatro Espejos) by Quince Duncan. This treatment therefore, examines the renditions of the black female voice in the her(s)tory, as well as the his(s)tory created by the female and male writers who are situated within the Afro-Hispanic literary traditions of the Post- Colonial period. It attempts to probe and explore the foundational elements in the construction of the female voice, to determine whether the female is able to articulate a voice in the narrative, or whether she is voiceless or silenced. Accordingly, it considers the differences that appear in the constructions of the female voice that appear in the works created by female writers, in comparison with those that are created by the male writers. It further interprets the significance of these representations where firstly, the female subject is considered as articulating a voice of her own, or on the other hand, as being voiceless in the discourse. Finally, it considers how the act of "giving a voice to the voiceless" which is achieved by the female writers under examination, can have implications for the expansion of the characterizations of the female subject not only in the literary context, but also in the society as a whole. It therefore considers the possibilities for the effective assumption of a voice by the female not only in the literary context, but as well in the context of the communities in which women live.
Degree
Ph. D.
Thesis Department
Rights
OpenAccess.
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