Publication Date

2013-05-30

Availability

Open access

Embargo Period

2013-05-30

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)

Department

Modern Languages and Literatures (Arts and Sciences)

Date of Defense

2013-03-27

First Committee Member

Hugo J. Achugar

Second Committee Member

Elena Grau-Lleveria

Third Committee Member

María Y. Gavela

Fourth Committee Member

Christina Lane

Abstract

This dissertation explores recent changes in the category of the monstrous by extrapolating the biological notion of mutation into the context of Ibero-American novels, comic books, and films. By analyzing late twentieth century and early twenty-first century textual and visual narratives from Spain and Latin America, this study proposes a reformulation of the monster paradigm and signals specific contemporary representations that move away from a monolithic and fixed category to a more relative one. Consequently, this dissertation suggests a new sensibility towards grand narratives in the figure of the mutant, a symptom of imminent change, heterogeneity, and variety. Conceived as a collection of different mutations, this transatlantic study focuses on the mutant figure not as a revolting organism but as a producer of new meanings, challenging cultural and aesthetic regimes of truth through its variation potential and molecular liquidity. The following theoretical model and interpretations can guide subsequent research in postmodern theory and cultural studies.

Keywords

Mutants; Monstrous; Postmodernism; Mutation; Ibero-American aesthetics; Transatlantic Studies

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