Access Type
Open Access Dissertation
Date of Award
January 2014
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
First Advisor
Francisco J. Higuero
Abstract
A MATTER OF HABITUS: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN THE LITERARY PRODUCTIONS OF GARCIA LORCA
by
LISA MONTES
December 2014
Advisor: Dr. Francisco Javier Higuero
Major: Modern Languages (Spanish)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
This dissertation explores the development of the characters in particular plays and poems of Spanish writer Federico García Lorca. The main theory that is applied in the analysis is that of Habitus, which was greatly elaborated upon by French philosopher Pierre Bourdieu. The first chapter discusses the character development of the women in the rural trilogy which includes the plays Yerma, Bodas de sangre and La casa de Bernarda Alba, all of which depict the tragic circumstances of the female characters that occurs when the unfulfilled women attempt to defy the conventions of early twentieth century rural Spain.
The second chapter focuses on the gypsies of Andalusia featured in the poetry compilations Romancero gitano and Cante del poema jondo . Unlike the females in the plays, the gypsies of the poems exhibit strength and independence. They are portrayed as much more mysterious and free-spirited as those featured in the trilogy. In both of the aforementioned chapters, the theory of habitus is applied by tracing the upbringing of the characters from infancy to adulthood in order to better comprehend their thoughts and actions.
In chapter of three of the dissertation, García Lorca is examined as an observer who is analyzing a culture that is not his own. The poet is compared to Bourdieu and his experiences with the Kabyle people of Algeria. Like the French thinker, Lorca temporarily resided in a foreign land and wrote extensively on his impression of those from an outside culture. The analysis focuses on his interactions with and observations of the African American population of Harlem as he was writing his compilation of poetry Poeta en Nueva York. The final chapter discusses the evolution of the poetic styles that García Lorca incorporates in his writing, which begins as more traditional and progressively becomes more avant garde like the writing of many of his contemporaries.
Recommended Citation
Montes, Lisa Britt, "A Matter Of Habitus: Character Development In The Literary Productions Of Garcia Lorca" (2014). Wayne State University Dissertations. 1157.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/1157