Blushing to Be: Shame and the Narration of Subjectivity in Contemporary U.S.-Caribbean Fiction

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Last Modified
  • March 20, 2019
Creator
  • Bortolotto, María Celina
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English and Comparative Literature
Abstract
  • This study engages shame/affect (mostly psychoanalytical) theory in an interdisciplinary approach that traces narratives of resistance from invisible subjectivities within dominant U.S.- Caribbean discourses in contemporary fictional texts. It consists of an introduction, four chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction provides a precise theoretical background for the study. It defines key terms making a detailed reference to the prevailing discourses in the Caribbean and the U.S. The first chapter reveals examples in the fiction of the complex relationship between shame and visibility/invisibility as embodied in the figure of the secret/closet, in relation to prevailing identity discourses. The second chapter analyzes the relationship of shame with narcissistic and masochistic tendencies as presented in the fiction, evaluating the weight of narratives in the dynamics of such disorders. The third chapter considers the performative powers of shame, particularly with regards to its powerful connection to both humor and writing. The conclusion offers a reflection on the pain that inevitably accompanies shame experiences, as well as the possibilities this suffering may offer for the reconfiguration of social categories and their relationships.
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  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • DeGuzmán, María
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  • Open access
Date uploaded
  • October 19, 2010

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