Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Spanish
First Advisor
Óscar Pérez
Abstract
In this paper I argue that the four stories that form the collection las Negras by Yolanda Arroyo
Pizarro address dehumanization and objectification of the black body and question the role of religion during slavery. A central theme throughout the collection is whispering, which initially symbolizes the initiation into slavery and ultimately symbolizes the emancipation from it. Through careful analysis of the text, research on Puerto Rico, and examination of authors’ opinions on Arroyo Pizarro’s other works in addition to las Negras, I maintain that by focusing on stories of black slave women in Puerto Rico, Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro works to surface narratives crucial to our understanding of history, yet seldom heard.
Recommended Citation
Gillis, Julia, "“Sus hijas le han sido arrebatadas”: lenguaje, deshumanización y resistencia en las Negras de Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro" (2019). Periclean Honors Forum Scholar Award Winners. 1.
https://creativematter.skidmore.edu/peri_stu_scholar/1