Through the four proposed presentations, this panel will highlight literature, film, and photography from Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, and the Caribbean, and by doing so it will reflect on the diverse ways women’s stories have been portrayed, reconstructed, and reimagined. Our purpose with this session is to contribute to the overview of studies on critical representations of identities and roles of girls and women that infiltrate the predominantly adult and patriarchal system amidst various stereotypes and prejudices in Latin American culture, examining cultural and historical nuances across different periods.
We have selected four speakers for this session, each of whom will present for a strict limit of 15 minutes to ensure ample time for a final discussion. The session will begin with Jannet Torres Espinoza’s paper “The Apprentice Girl in Peru at the Beginning of the 20th Century”. Her analysis highlights how the representations of schoolgirls in the Peruvian illustrated children's magazine Figuritas (1912-1913), from diverse social and racial backgrounds, challenged class boundaries and prejudices, shedding light on the evolving opportunities for girls in early twentieth-century Peru.
Opening the subject to the importance of cinema at the turn of the last century, with “A Uruguayan Melodrama in Three Parts: Beatriz Flores Silva’s Cinema,” Genesis Portillo will discuss Flores Silva's trilogy—La Historia Casi Verdadera de Pepita La Pistolera (1993), En la Puta Vida (2001), and Polvo Nuestro Que Estás en los Cielos (2008)—which represents a valuable contribution to recent Uruguayan cinema. Portillo offers a thorough analysis of how these films challenge societal norms, redefine roles, and offer new perspectives on female agency.
With “Women at War: the Peruvian Internal Armed Conflict in Film”, Maria Claudia Huerta Vera turns to the representation of women involved in guerrilla movements during the Internal Armed Conflict in Peru. This presentation will analyze three experimental documentaries that portray three former guerrilleras with varying degrees of guilt and shame when remembering their violent past: Karen Bernedo’s Ludy D (2007), Teresa de Arredondo’s Sibila (2012), and Martha Cecilia Dietrich’s Entre Memorias (2015). By defying the victim-perpetrator binary, these films humanize these women at war and emphasize the personal and societal challenges of reconciliation
Wrapping up this session, Mirella Livoti offers a comparative analysis in “Self-Discovery, Sexuality and Music: The Representation of Caribbean Femininity in Papi (2005) and Fiebre de Carnaval (2022).” Livoti delves into the journeys of self-discovery undertaken by the girl protagonists of both novels, examining how their experiences of patriarchal violence—manifested through sexualization and abuse—shape their identities. It also highlights the role of music, oral traditions, and the lyricism of the Caribbean environment as essential elements that challenge and complement these girls' experiences.
Our session takes an interdisciplinary approach, examining advancements in the humanities related to girlhood and womanhood. It encompasses research from the early 20th century to contemporary cultural products. Each presentation addresses distinct topics and perspectives on female experiences, yet collectively, they aspire to foster dialogue and highlight the common challenges and disadvantages faced by girls and women across geographical boundaries in the Latin American region. Ultimately, this panel features the work of a diverse group of emerging women scholars from various institutions, including two graduate students and two tenure-track professors. The unique perspectives and backgrounds of each participant will enrich the discussion, leading to a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights as they present their innovative work.