Degree Year
2018
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Hispanic Studies
Advisor(s)
Sergio Gutiérrez Negrón
Committee Member(s)
Ana María Díaz Burgos
Claire Solomon
Keywords
Creative writing, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican literature, Diaspora, Caribbean literature
Abstract
"De pura cepa" is a collection of six short stories, each in a different time period and different conflict in Puerto Rican history: the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the era of slavery and sugar plantations in the mid-19th century, the transition from Spain to the United States in the first years of the 20th century, the start of mass emigrations from Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century, and finally the immediate effects of Hurricane Maria in the latter half of 2017. There is also an introductory story that takes place in the early 2000s. The collection confronts and interrogates perceptions of Puerto Rico by showing different characters navigate their identities and the struggles they face as Puerto Ricans. It addresses themes such as race, gender, religion, class, and other forms of identity over time and within a family. The six stories are accompanied by a critical commentary, which analyzes Puerto Rico’s cultural history and argues that storytelling serves as a means by which to research and explore this history.
Repository Citation
Pérez-Padilla, Rita M., "De pura cepa: Seis cuentos de Puerto Rico, 1548–2017" (2018). Honors Papers. 172.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/honors/172
