Nationalism, states of exception, and Caribbean identities in Sirena Selena vestida de pena and ¿Loca la de la locura¿
Title:
Nationalism, states of exception, and Caribbean identities in Sirena Selena vestida de pena and ¿Loca la de la locura¿
Author:
Rangelova , Radost
Appeared in:
Centro journal
Paging:
Volume XIX (2007) nr. 1 pages 74-88
Year:
2007
Contents:
This paper examines the transformation of the idea of the nation through the spaces occupied by transvestites in Mayra Santos-Febres´ novel Sirena Selena vestida de pena and Manuel Ramos Otero´s story ¿Loca la de la locura.¿ In contrast to previous representations, which use ideals of origins to delineate the concept of the nation, the narratives of these two works claim no belonging to national borders or legal citizenship. In contrast, they challenge the concept of the nation, undermining the authority of the legal system to exclude or punish, and bringing to the forefront the protagonism of global capital that takes over nations and transnational spaces. By crossing over from one island to another, by inhabiting capital-enabled sites of transit like airports and hotels, and by occupying the spaces of prisons, mental institutions, and cemeteries, the transvestites adopt and subvert previous migrations, as well as embody the transformation of the nation in the context of the hegemony of global capital.
Publisher:
City University of New York : Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños (provided by DOAJ)
Journal description