Internal diversity in contemporary Chicana literature: The 'Other Within' in the works of Cherrie Moraga and Sandra Cisneros

This dissertation studies Chicana feminist writings as an expression of thought in relation to the development of Chicana/o Studies. It examines the emergence of the Chicana feminist "I" from a position of "Other Within," that is, a marginal location within a marginalized social group. Chapter I explains how Chicana feminists become spokespersons for those who occupy this position. The phenomenon occurs since the publication of This Bridge Called My Back in 1981. It involves considering gender and sexuality as a point of entry into identity matters, as well as theorizing about the role of critics and methodologies.Chapter II examines how the new understanding of identity in Chicana/o Studies during the 1980s is related to the feminist "I" in Chicana writings of the time. These works combine an interest in social justice and sexual difference, and fuse cultural critique and cultural production. In this context, Chapter III studies the fusion of Cherrie Moraga's thought and literary invention, focusing on the narrating "I" in her personal essays and the characters in her plays as figurations of the Chicana artist. It discusses the reconstitution of the body as a central metaphor in her writings. Chapter IV posits that Sandra Cisneros's fictional world is shaped by the double figure of the authorial "I" and the female child narrating "I." The merging of poetics and thought is also evident in Cisneros's overarching metaphor of the rebozo. Both studies emphasize Moraga's and Cisneros's dialogue with the Chicana/o cultural tradition. They recognize the existence of a Chicana/o literary tradition, as well as their role in its development. Finally, Chapter V focuses on how these authors assume their role as spokespersons for the "Other Within" by considering their feminist "I"s as figurations of the Chicana intellectual. The role of Chicana/o intellectuals is marked by the tension between scholarship and activism. Through voice and metaphor, Moraga and Cisneros provide a solution by conceiving the intellectual as an artist who is committed to both her art and her political investments. They highlight the merging of literary craftsmanship with cultural critique as tools for empowerment, accountability, and social justice.