Literate Ceremonies: Cultural Field's Representations in Narratives by Latinamerican and Caribbean Women Writers (First Half of the 20th Century)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the representation of the cultural field in the narratives of Caribbean and Latín American women writers during the first half of the 20th century. Despite the modernization of the cultural field and its impact on their literary and intellectual endeavors, these women writers chose not to represent their experiences in the lettered spheres explicitly in their work. We view this representational absence not as disinterest in reflecting on and imagining their professional practice as writers, but rather as the particular way in which these women expressed the difficulties and exclusions they experienced in their contemporary cultural fields. We show how these narratives display a series of scenes in which the main characters engage in reading and cultural activities within prívate and intimate settings. By analyzing the particular characteristics of these images, we demonstrate how they offer an alternative model of development and cultural interaction to the existing lettered fields of their time.