Grotesque's relevance to the postmodern: A work around "A causa secreta," "La familia de Pascual Duarte", and "La condesa sangrienta"
Abstract
This study examines characteristic aspects of today's literary production through the lenses of the grotesque, focusing on art, usage, multiple perspective, and certain key elements of postmodern theory. ^ As a practical strategy for dealing critically with so large an amount of material, this study focuses on two principal elements of the grotesque—violence and horror. ^ The postmodern grotesque, in particular, is analyzed through the works of Machado, Cela and Pizarnik. These texts reveal different levels of grotesque imagery and present themselves readily for the study of their possible meanings. ^ In the process of this analysis, I refer to literary criticism, horror films, psychology, and philosophy in order to examine the relevance of this genre to our time. It becomes clear that contemporary attitudes toward individualism and openness explain to a great extent the predominance of this genre: postmodernism constantly subverts traditional standards, and the material of the grotesque both reflects and supports this subversion. ^
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Major Professor: Paul B. Dixon, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Literature, Comparative|Literature, Latin American|Literature, Romance
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