The portrayal of memory and the search for identity in the novels by Josefina Aldecoa.
Nuala Kenny
Course: Contemporary Spanish women’s writing
Supervisor: Dr. Alison Ribeiro de Menezes
Funding Body: N/A at present
Abstract
This thesis sets out to examine the novels by Spanish author Josefina Aldecoa and the recurring themes of memory and identity in these narratives. Aldecoa forms part of a generation of writers known as “los niños de la guerra” (children of the war), those born in the mid-1920s. Having experienced the trauma of war and dictatorship from a tender age Aldecoa’s work is afforded with a uniqueness that distinguishes her second-generation writers. Aldecoa’s novels explore many issues of importance for contemporary Spain, namely – the role of women in society, the profound and lasting impact of the civil war and modern relationships, both familial and male and female relations. Her most acclaimed work to date is the trilogy – Historia de una maestra (1990), Mujeres de negro (1994), and La fuerza del destino (1997). These novels raised the complex issues of remembering and amnesia regarding the civil war and the Franco era at a time when Spain was only beginning the arduous task of confronting its past. Aldecoa, in these novels, captured the reality of 20th Century Spain and the importance of memory for a nation’s future development. This thesis will examine each of Aldecoa’s novels, a task that has yet to be carried out by scholars in this field, accessing her depiction of the key themes of identity and memory and explore their significance for contemporary Spain.
Research Interests
Research interests include women’s writing, gender studies, Spanish history and the issues of memory and identity in contemporary Spanish literature.
Published work
Conference presentations
Postgraduate Symposium in Hispanic Studies, in UCD, March 31st to April 1st 2006. Paper Title - The role played by memory and the Spanish civil war in the trilogy by Josefina Aldecoa.
