Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature Commons^™

The White Male As Narrative Axis In Mayra Santos-Febres’S Nuestra Señora De La Noche, Helene C. Weldt-Basson

Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature

Mayra Santos-Febres’s 2006 novel, Nuestra señora de la noche, is based on the life of the Puerto Rican madam, Isabel la Negra, a legendary figure in Puerto Rican culture. Using both Mervin Alleyne’s theory of racial discrimination and Aída Hurtado’s theory of racially-based gender discrimination, which shows how the reactions of white and black females are governed by their relation of dependency on or rejection by the white male, this study illustrates how the character Isabel la Negra evolves as a postmodern, feminist character who opposes racism and gender subordination in Puerto Rico through her role as a prostitute. …