An Eye on Race: Perspectives from Theater in Imperial SpainRacism in the modern nation state is based on a Continental and an American model. In the Continental model, the racist differentiates the raced individual by religion. Because this raced individual is indistinguishable from the racist, a narrative is written to see that individual. In turn, in the American model the racist differentiates the raced individual based on skin color. Because the sign of difference is obvious, no story is written to justify racist thinking. By 1550, both models form part of imperial thinking in the Iberian world system. An Eye on Race: Perspectives from Theater in Imperial Spain describes these models at work in imperial Spanish theater. The study reveals how the display of blood in drama serves the Continental model and how the display of skin color serves the American model. It also elucidates how Miguel de Cervantes celebrates a subaltern aesthetic as he discards both racial paradigms. John Beusterien is Associate Professor of Spanish at Texas Tech University. |
Contents
| 13 | |
| 33 | |
Blood Displays Seeing the Jew | 58 |
Skin Displays Seeing the Black | 101 |
Cervantes | 141 |
Conclusion | 172 |
Notes | 175 |
Works Cited | 195 |
Index | 219 |
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aesthetics African American anti-Semitism appear argues associated Black blood bloodletting body called century Cervantes chapter character Christian circumcision colonial comedia connection context critical cultural dance denarrativized describes desire difference discourse discussion display drama Duke University early economic especially European examine exist female figure forms hand Hispanic honor human Iberian identity imperial includes invisible Jewish John Juan judíos language Latino Lope Madrid male mark meaning medieval Moor narrativized vision nature negra negro notion object performance period play political practice present protagonist Quevedo race racial racism reading reference religious represents respect role saint scene sense seventeenth seventeenth-century significant skin color slave slavery social Spain Spanish speak stage story subaltern suggests term theater thinking tion turn understanding University Press visual White White's eye woman women writes York
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