Back to search

Virginia Tech

Branding the Native: The Indigenous Condition in Contemporary Peruvian Literature

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Latin American literature can be characterized by its narrative styles and literary techniques to expose political instability, subversive movements and human rights violations. In South America, specifically in Peru, contemporary narrative and film depicts the guerra interna between the subversive movement, Sendero Luminoso, and the Peruvian government and its impact on the developing country. This study focuses on three texts --Mario Vargas Llosa\'s Lituma en los Andes (1993), Iván Thays\' Un lugar llamado Oreja de Perro (2008), and Santiago Roncagliolo\'s Abril rojo (2006)-- and two contemporary films --Claudia Llosa\'s Madeinusa (2006) and La teta asustada (2009). These works stay within the broader trajectory of Peruvian narrative and film\'s portrayal of the guerra interna. However, these works deviate from the norm by focusing on the indigenous populations\' involvement and subsequent consequences. This study examines how language, spirituality and violence dehumanizes the Peruvian indigenous during Peru\'s efforts at modernization.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures
Department dc:contributor.department
Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2013

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Watson, Kayla Jean
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Venkatesh, Vinodh
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Austin, Elisabeth L.
  • Cana Jimenez, Maria D.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:869
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/22019

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Watson, Kayla Jean. Branding the Native: The Indigenous Condition in Contemporary Peruvian Literature. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/22019