Event Summary

To celebrate World Book Day (April 23), the Taiwanese Association of Hispanists hosted its 6th online workshop on April 22, 2022. The event featured three emerging scholars in Spanish literature presenting their research. Moderated by Professor Sophia Yang (NCCU), the workshop attracted approximately 80 participants.

Presentation Highlights

1. Gioconda Belli and "La mujer habitada"

Speaker: Ms. Alicia Torres Shu (Assistant Professor, FJU) Highlights:

• Female Awakening: Explored the magical realist novel "La mujer habitada" (1988) by Nicaraguan author Gioconda Belli.
• Symbiosis and Revolution: Analyzed the symbiotic relationship between the protagonist Lavinia and the spirit of an ancient Mayan warrior, symbolizing the awakening of modern women from economic independence to social revolution.
• Multiple Perspectives: Suggested interpreting the text through psychoanalysis and comparative literature in addition to feminism.

2. Sacred Toledo: The "Axis Mundi" in Garcilaso's Love Poetry

Speaker: Mr. Pablo Wen-Chin Li (Assistant Professor, Tamkang University) Highlights:

• Renaissance Spirit: Analyzed how 16th-century poet Garcilaso de la Vega integrated personal emotions into his poetic creations.
• Sacred Space: Used theories by Campbell and Eliade to analyze how the poet shaped his hometown, Toledo, into an "axis mundi" connecting heaven and earth.
• Eternal Myth: Discussed how the poet transformed personal love experiences into Spain's collective memory and eternal legends by sanctifying his hometown.

3. Social Stratification and Idealized Models: Elena Fortún's "Celia" Series

Speaker: Ms. Hortensia Yu-Yen Hsu (Lecturer, FJU/UTaipei/NCCU) Highlights:

• Sociological Lens: Applied Pierre Bourdieu's theories of "cultural capital" and "cultural reproduction" to analyze Elena Fortún's "Celia" series.
• Class Mobility: Explored how the protagonist faced shifts in social stratification and the impact of mainstream values following the Civil War and exile.
• Symbolic Violence: Analyzed how the "ideal mother" model in the text reflects the influence of dominant social values on individual self-positioning.

Event Information

• Time: April 22, 2022 (Fri) 20:00-21:30
• Location: Online (Google Meet)
• Moderator: Prof. Sophia Yang (National Chengchi University)