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    At the Center of Her Art: Ex/Isle, Trauma, and Story-Telling in Julia Alvarez's First Three Novels

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    Issue Date
    2007-12-20
    Author
    Robbins, Emily Rebecca
    Publisher
    University of Kansas
    Format
    94 pages
    Type
    Thesis
    Degree Level
    MA
    Discipline
    English
    Rights
    This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
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    Abstract
    Julia Alvarez's first three novels, which can be read as a story cycle, are highly autobiographical, and, if studied together, reveal how she progresses as an author. Drawing from theories concerning life writing, language, and madness, I read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents as a dual kunstlerroman, demonstrating the growth of both Alvarez's and Yolanda's agency. In her second novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, Alvarez wrestles with what "lies at the center of [her] art" -- the Dominican Republic and the trauma associated with living on and away from the island. Using cryptonomy and trauma theory, I investigate the effect of silence on both the Dominicans and Alvarez. Finally, in ¡Yo! Alvarez suggests that the responsible storyteller listens to those she represents. When considered together, these three novels reveal Alvarez's quest to articulate her development as a writer who can represent the voices of the collective.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1808/4253
    Collections
    • English Dissertations and Theses [449]
    • Theses [3787]

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    Contact KU ScholarWorks
    785-864-8983
    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    785-864-8983

    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    Image Credits
     

     

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